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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27222181">The Fake Protagonist</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IareRubberDucky/pseuds/IareRubberDucky'>IareRubberDucky</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Death, Gen, Spoilers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:27:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>84,382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27222181</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IareRubberDucky/pseuds/IareRubberDucky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey, are you ok?"</p>
<p>It appeared at first that my words fell upon deaf ears. Suddenly, his mind finally went back into his body. As he responded to me, his green coat shuffled from a breeze.</p>
<p>"Heh, sorry, I kinda spaced out there. I'm fine by the way. Thanks for checking in on me, Byakuya."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I suppose I should've began at the start of all of this. It all took less than a day for everything that made sense to unfold and become nonsense. If I'm taking this from the top, then I shall.</p><p>The day was a day I dreaded for months. At least, at first I dreaded it. Soon enough, I realized that this was petty nonsense that I had to do, and so, the dread became slight annoyance. It was a school but not it wasn't just a school for anyone. This was Hope's Peak Academy and only the best of the best, the cream of the crop were accepted in. I am one of those who were accepted in. </p><p>Hope's Peak itself is government funded and is made to specifically house those gifted with a special talent. If you are the best at what you do, you get accepted and if you graduate,  "you'll be set for life." I don't need to be set for life which is why I'm annoyed at this whole ordeal. I've withheld my name for long enough so I shall bestow it upon you:</p><p>My name is Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Prodeny. </p><p>Even though the students here are suppose to be gifted, I still dislike rubbing shoulders with them. Unlike them, I earned my talent through hard work. I wasn't just born with this talent.</p><p>Anyway, I reluctantly walked to the school for my first day. Or did I take a train? Or did I....</p><p>I don't quite remember how I got there but that does not matter right now. All you need to know is that I remember the classroom door and I remember opening it. Inside the room was  fourteen students. All of then looked at me and I gave them time to bask in my greatness before someone spoke up.</p><p>"That's fifteen now, right?" said a man wearing a yellow mechanic suit.</p><p>"Yep," replied a girl playing on a mobile device.</p><p>I then walked into the room and shut the door behind me. As I went in, everyone went right back to what they were doing but a man in a green coat walked up to me.</p><p>"State your purpose," I told him, sternly. </p><p>"Oh, I'm only here for introductions. My name is Nagito Komaeda and I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student," said the man in the green coat.</p><p>"Hmph, I'm Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Prodeny."</p><p>"Oh I heard about you. You're the heir of the Togami family, right?"</p><p>"Well, there isn't two Togami families, so what do you think, flea?"</p><p>"Ah, sorry..."</p><p>Nagito then walked back towards the position he was in before approaching me. His thinness, disturbed me. He looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>People in the room began to talk about why we were here. I paid no mind to it as I began to feel something come over me. I didn't even get to sit down before a wave of something hit me. I began to sweat and feel light headed. This wasn't nervousness,  it was something else— a different feeling. </p><p>I suddenly got the feeling that I'm not suppose to be here.</p><p>Before I could contemplate on this, the door opened again and a scrawny man walked through. He wore a white dress shirt and looked to be a little fatter than Nagito. </p><p>"...Huh?" came out of the man's mouth.</p><p>"...Who goes there?" replied a girl with what appeared to be a sword.</p><p>"...Eh?" replied the man.</p><p>"Um... are you feeling all right? You look quite pale," shot from the girl in front of me. The man has been here for less time and already had more plebians talk to him. I guess I had a lucky break.</p><p>"Ah, um..." replied the man. At this point I doubt he even speaks the language.</p><p>"Hey, could you be... You're also a freshman at this school, right?" came from a red headed girl to my left.</p><p>"Ah, then... you're all...?" replied the man. He finally speaks. He should learn not to waste people's times and these others should learn to not pester one person with multiple questions.</p><p>"See for yourself. We're all freshmen, too," said the yellow mechanic.</p><p>"I assume... freshmen like us have been gathered in this classroom," said the girl with the mobile device.</p><p>"...Hey, why don't you just come inside for now?" said I, in a commanding voice way beyond what anyone here attempted before.</p><p>"Eh? Ah yes, of course!" said the man. I'm pleased that out of anyone, he listened to me and he was surprisingly polite. </p><p>I then watched him close the door and sit down. I pondered the feeling I had earlier. I thought about my body and mind's reaction to this room and these people. I don't think I'm in the right classroom yet I feel as if I know these people. All of a sudden, a name popped into my mind: "Ry- something." I have no idea what this means nor why I feel this way.</p><p>"Um... excuse me?" said the man to me.</p><p>I was lost in thought so it took me a bit to respond with, "...What is it?"</p><p>"Why are we all gathered in this classroom? No one said anything about coming here, so... is there like, an entrance ceremony or homeroom happening now?"</p><p>Remembering what was said just before I retreated into my mind, "Actually... we were just about to discuss that matter."</p><p>"Discuss?"</p><p>"Well... since you are the last student to arrive, let's start the discussion."</p><p>"Eh, is this everyone? How do you know?" replied a *creature.*</p><p>"There are only sixteen desks in this classroom and this guy is the sixteenth student... It'sobvious if you bother to think about it...!" I replied. </p><p>It appears that I can do simple math and multiple four by four in my head; at least my entire mind isn't having a breakdown over this weird feeling.</p><p>"And just what are we gonna talk about? The reason why we're all gathered here in this classroom?" said a fat chef.</p><p>"First, I need to confirm something. Out of everyone here... Is there anyone who actually remembers how they came to this classroom?" said I.</p><p>The whole room grew an eerie silence as everyone looked at each other and/or made small murmurs. Everyone looked surprised and not a single person made any notion of remembering. </p><p>"So before you realized it, you were in this classroom...<br/>
Then everyone here is in the same predicament... No matter how you look at it, it's unnatural. Even you stupid-looking ones would agree, right?" said I.</p><p>"I-It sure is strange. Nobody actually remembers how they came here..." replied the red headed girl before shooting back with "...Hey! What do you mean, "stupid looking"!?"</p><p>The more she talks, the more she reminds me of a certain fast food chain. It made me smile for a bit remembering how good the honey mustard from that place is.</p><p>"The moment you set foot on campus, you felt a strange dizziness and you're here and you don't know why... This is what I experienced before I arrived here. Am I correct in assuming that's true for all of you?" said I, relieving the good thought I just had.</p><p>"Th-That happened to me too, but..." said the man.</p><p>Before he could finish the chef interrupted with, "Eh!? That dizziness wasn't just me? Everyone felt the same dizziness... that's weird!" </p><p>"E-Even if it's just a coincidence... it feels too good to be true..." said a shy girl with bandages on her arms.</p><p>"So you're saying it's not just a coincidence, then. Meaning we can only speculate who's responsible for this strange phenomenon," said I.</p><p>"Hah! I don't know what you're so worried about, but that doesn't sound like a huge deal..." said a muscular man.</p><p>"...What do you mean?" said the mechanic.</p><p>"Instead of figuring out why we're here, we should try to figure out why we can't leave..." said muscles.</p><p>"Huh? Whaddya mean we can't leave?" said a girl whose bosom is too big for her shirt.</p><p>"Eh!? Seriously!?" said the chef. He then ran to the door and pulled on it like he left the stove on inside. "I-It won't open! I can't open it!"</p><p>"...Huh, why?" said red head. </p><p>"A little while after I got here, I tried to leave to go take a shit... But that door wouldn't budge at all" said the muscular man in a sad tone. I can already tell that I'm going to get tired of him.</p><p>"...Hey, hey. What's going on?!" said the mechanic.</p><p>"Even with all my might, I couldn't open it. It'd be absolutely impossible for any of you..." said muscles.</p><p>"Eh? What do you mean you couldn't open it? Why? That's not possible!" said a... a.... kindergartener? Is she actually a freshman?</p><p>"S-She's right! It's impossible! Because... when I went through the door, it opened normally... it wasn't locked at all...!" said the man.</p><p>"Though I don't understand what forces are at work here... There's no denying that we have been locked inside this classroom." said the swordswoman.</p><p>It took me a moment to realize this. Locked inside of a classroom with fifteen strangers. I should make it my mission to at least know their names. When an opportunity arises, I should take it. </p><p>"M-Maybe we're... getting mixed up... in something dangerous?" said the mechanic.</p><p>"Or perhaps... Doesn't it make more sense to think that this is the entrance exam?" said Nagito.</p><p>"The entrance exam? You mean Hope's Peak Academy's?" said the man.</p><p>"But... according to Hope's Peak Academy, no such entrance exam exists," said a pale girl.</p><p>"They may say that publicly, but it's possible that this is actually a special entrance exam," said Nagito, bringing up a unique point.</p><p>"Ah, you're wrong. This is not an entrance exam," said a voice from somewhere. </p><p>"What was that just now?" said I. </p><p>"Hey, fatass... Why'd you make that cutesy voice all of a sudden?" said a baby face child.</p><p>"I won't dispute your blunt remark about my weight. But that voice you just heard was not mine."</p><p>"...Huh? Then who's is it?" said bosom girl.</p><p>"Um, it's actually mine," said the voice from somewhere. </p><p>"Who's there?! Where are you?!" said muscles. </p><p>"It sounds like it came from behind the teacher's desk..." said the mobile girl.</p><p>"All right! I see everyone has arrived! Let's begin!" said the voice.</p><p>All of a sudden, a pink rabbit in a dress wielding a wand popped out from behind the desk. At first, I thought I had been drugged. Then I thought I was dreaming, so I pinched myself. I felt pain.</p><p>"What... is that?" said the pale girl.</p><p>"Umm... it looks like a stuffed animal," said red head.</p><p>"That's right, I am a squeezably soft stuffed animal. Magical Miracle Girl ☆ Usami... A.K.A. Usami! " said the *thing.*</p><p>"I may not look like it, but I am your squeezably soft teacher. Nice to meet you all!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey look everybody, I found the notes! You bet your sweet ass that</p><p>A: this is my first piece of work<br/>And<br/>B: I've never used AO3 before</p><p>Anyway, don't kick my ass too hard for this as it's my first time and I want it to be gentle.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"H-Huh? Am I hallucinating? Am I the only one who's seeing this?" said the chef.</p><p>"Nah, I see it too..." said the mechanic.</p><p>"What's with this talking Chihuahua!?" said bosom girl.</p><p>"Eh?! That's a Chihuahua!?" said the strange girl, idiotically.</p><p>"...Does everyone here know what a rabbit is? It's a very lovable that'svery fluffy and soft. That's what I am! A singing, dancing, talking, rabbit mascot!" said Usami.</p><p>"H-Hold on! Let me process this first!" said the chef followed by an ok from Usami.</p><p>"Um... what do you guys think? I've never seen a stuffed animal that can sing, dance, and talk before..."</p><p>"I-It's probably remote controlled or something...<br/>Don't act like such a pussy over a child's toy," said baby face.</p><p>"E-Even if it is remote controlled, doesn't it look too lifelike? That's pretty advanced for a toy..." said the mechanic.</p><p>Bringing the class back to the ground, I said, "Its movements and mannerisms are not the issue. More importantly, based on what it just said, it seems you know something about our current situation!"</p><p>"Of course I do! I'm the lead teacher of this school trip!"</p><p>"School trip...? Hey... what do you mean, school trip?"</p><p>"A large group of students go on a chaperoned trip with a lead teacher! It's the biggest event of the school year!" Just like that, I wanted to strangle the rabbit.</p><p>"W-We're not looking for such a literal answer." said the man.</p><p>"Now let's depart for the fun school trip!" said Usami, ignoring the man's statement. </p><p>Usami then waved her wand around and suddenly the classroom began to deconstruct itself. The ceiling opened up like a stadium and the walls fell revealing.... a beach? Several times today, I have been dumbfounded and this one was the cherry on top.</p><p>Everything was real too. The sun felt warm, the breeze cooled me, the seagulls cawed at whatever garbage they just found, and the trees swayed with the wind.</p><p>"What... the hell is this!?" said the man, breaking the awestruck silence.</p><p>The chef screamed "What" and stuttered several times before he could get it out. Everyone was clearly distressed by the sudden change in scenery it took Usami several sentences to gather our attention as she talked about the environment. </p><p>"Hold on, give us the details...! Where in the world are we?" said the swordswoman.</p><p>""Where," you ask...? Well, obviously we're, <br/>Out where it's better!<br/>Out where it's wetter!<br/>Out by the sea!" said Usami.</p><p>"I-I understand this is the sea, but... what are we doing here!?" screamed the shy girl.</p><p>"You know... you're throat's gonna get hoarse if you keep screaming like that." said Usami.</p><p>"But... we were just at school and now we are by the sea. This is impossible!" said the pale girl.</p><p>"Please do not worry. The school trip has started, that's all." </p><p>Yeah, tell a bunch of young adults that they shouldn't panic when they're suddenly on a surprise school trip. Kidnappers have definitely used that as a lure.</p><p>"But, like, why are we on a school trip all of a sudden!? You totally skipped alllll the stuff that comes first!" said the weird girl.</p><p>"She's right! We're all supposed to be attending Hope's Peak Academy," said the man.</p><p>"Ah, Hope's Peak Academy.... I see, I see...<br/>You don't say...." said Usami, cryptically.<br/>"You guys are feeling unsure about Hope's Peak Academy. Then in that case... Please forget about Hope's Peak Academy! That's why we're having a school trip in the first place!"</p><p>"The hell you mean we should forget about it!?" said baby face, with a commanding voice.</p><p>I then followed the command with, "Hey... what are you? Just what are you scheming?"</p><p>"What!? I'm not scheming anything! I'm doing this for everyone's sake! I'm praying from the bottom of my heart that hope grow within everyone's heart! There's nothing dangerous on this island whatsoever! So please, there is no need to worry at all!"</p><p>Picking up on her words, Nagito said, "Island? Did you just say island?"</p><p>"Yep, and it certainly is beautiful. It was prepared just for us, an island free from other people and danger."</p><p>"Are you saying this island is uninhabited?" said the man.</p><p>"Perhaps... you brought us to this island to make us kill each other!?" said Nagito in a not joking manner.</p><p>"Ha-wa-wa!? Kill each other!? Nu-uh! No way! Bloody business, like causing violence or inflicting pain, is a big no-no on this island! Even the word "kill"... Just saying it horrifies me! Kyahh, so scary!" said Usami.</p><p>"Then... what is this "school trip" you mentioned? What do you intend for us to do on this island?" said I. </p><p>"All righty! I shall announce it to everyone right now! While you all relax on this island paradise, you must get along and strengthen your bonds with one another! That is the main rule on this heart throbbed school trip."</p><p>"Heart throbbed school trip...?" said I.</p><p>"Spend these peaceful and relaxing days nourishing hope and lazing about, free from pain, free from suffering... Truly this heart throbbed school trip is... everyone's homework!" </p><p>"What the hell does that even mean!?" said the man.</p><p>"Now then, let the heart throbbed school trip begin!"</p><p>Just like that, my mind was empty. It has been folded and turned more times today than in my entire life and it didn't even last an hour. My whole head hurt and my body was getting hot from the sun. Alas, the air was fresh and it was quite a relaxing scene so, why not just soak it in for a bit and then ask questions later. I needed this vacation because I had suddenly been thrown into it without any good answers as to why. So, I leaned against a tree for a bit and then stood up to see Nagito on the beach.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, are you ok?”</p><p>It appeared at first that my words fell upon deaf ears. Suddenly, his mind finally went back into his. As he responded to me, his green coat shuffled from a breeze.</p><p>“Heh, sorry, I kinda spaced out there. I’m fine by the way. Thanks for checking in on me, Byakuya.”</p><p>“Hmph, good… and is that…. Someone?”</p><p>“What, where…? Oh, yeah, that is someone lying down on the beach!”</p><p>We rushed over to a man lying down on the beach and I bent down to check his pulse.</p><p>“He’s alive, that’s good.”</p><p>“That’s a relief, I thought someone had gone and died on us.”</p><p>There was a moment of awkward silence stemming from that sentence. The only thing to break it was the sound of the ocean and seagulls.</p><p>“Anyway, what was your talent again?” I asked him.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, it’s forgettable. I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student…”</p><p>“Luck?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s disappointing. Everyone here is talented, even this guy asleep on the beach, then there’s me: a talentless nobody.”</p><p>“Well, don’t knock luck.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Luck is an unknown variable and it can allow you to do anything as long as you have it.”</p><p>“I guess that’s uh… a good view on it, but I’ll never be as good as you…”</p><p>“Well, that much is true… Regardless, I have to meet other people, do you mind staying here and checking up on the sleeper?”</p><p>“Sure, Byakuya!”</p><p>Then I left the beach and took out my e-Handbook. This was given to me by Usami as I lay on a palm tree. It has a map, the rules, everyone involved in this trip, and stupid little game that I have no intent of playing. Anyway, I left the beach and saw an airport to my left. Seeing as how a bridge was to my right, I decided to continue inland and fully explore this island.</p><p>After a few minutes, I was at the airport and greeted by the finest in metal fencing. After that small obstacle, I was in a big room with a big window. The window led to the tarmac outside and several airplanes meanwhile the inside was open and even had luggage strewn about towards a conveyer belt. There were also two people inside this room, the yellow banana and a man wearing a scarf. </p><p>“If there are planes here, is it possible to leave?” I said aloud to the room.</p><p>Picking up my distress signal, the banana said, “Nope.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“See these planes, if they were broke, I could fix ‘em. The problem is… they don’t have engines.”</p><p>“I guess that makes your job hard.”</p><p>“You betcha! Anyway, I didn’t get your name.”</p><p>“Byakuya Togami, and your’s?”</p><p>“Name’s Kazuichi Soda, I’m the Ultimate Mechanic. Nice to meet ya!”</p><p>“I guess I was right, I had you for a mechanic of sorts.”</p><p>“Woah, seriously!?”</p><p>“...Yes, and the odor coming from you reinforces it.”</p><p>“Sorry ‘bout that, oil is smelly sometimes.”</p><p>“Please take a proper show before you speak to me again.”</p><p>“I’m on it!”</p><p>Kazuchi then made a face because he had realized he spoke to me again even though he had not showered. I replied to this with a stern look which sent him to cower within his beanie.</p><p>Next was the scarf man and approaching him may have been a mistake…</p><p>“Stop right there. If you value your life, do not come any closer,” said the scarved man.</p><p>“You dare speak to me in that tone!?” I replied.</p><p>“Hah, I sense courage within you. I will accept it and we shall commune if that is what you desire from me.”</p><p>Great, third man in and he’s a loony. Just what I need. Just who I want to spend the days on an island with: an absolute nutjob.</p><p>“Kehehe, would you like to know my name? Others may see your bravery as stupidity, however, the line between them is very blurred.” said the scarved man.</p><p>“Are you going to stop speaking in riddles and tell me your name?”</p><p>“In honor of your courage, I shall reveal my name! May you never forget it!”<br/>“You may call me… Gundham Tanaka! Remember it well as it is the name that will one day rule this world!”</p><p>The more he talks, the greater mistake I made approaching him…</p><p>“Now then, it is my turn to ask questions. Whose master are you?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Which tribe did you make your pact with? Answer me!”</p><p>“What are you on about? What do you mean “pact”?”</p><p>“Answer me now! Though I shall cast you into a frozen grave once you do!”</p><p>“Then isn’t it best if I don’t answer? You have talked loud enough to get yourself into a stalemate.”</p><p>“Hmph, I guess I shall have to say this in a way normal humans can understand.... Do you have a pet?”</p><p>“All of this nonsense and you’re asking if I have a pet!? No, I do not nor have I ever owned one.”</p><p>“So, nothing? Your Magic Essence does not even exist!”</p><p>“I can’t tell if you’re serious or you’re one of those LARPers I’ve heard about.”</p><p>“I am no joke! I am grand! I am immortal! I am the Supreme Overlord of Ice!”<br/>As he said that, four hamsters scurried out of his scarf and posed on his shoulders and hands.</p><p>“What is with the rodents?”</p><p>“These are not just simple rodents, these are the Four Dark Devas of Destruction! Hmph, taming evil by using myself as a bed… Truly, this is the secret art of the Tanaka Empire!”</p><p>I seriously regret talking to Gundham. This man is going to murder someone, I’m calling it now.</p><p>“One of my Devas, Mirage Golden Hawk Jum-P, has this to say:<br/>“You do not seem natural. Your aura does not line up with who you are!””</p><p>Gundham followed this up with, “I knew it! I knew something was off about Byakuya! I will find out what is lying beneath that flesh one day… Now, go!”</p><p>“Good, I was planning on leaving three minutes ago anyway…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I then left the airport and headed down the road some more and happened upon a supermarket. It said “Rocketpunch Market” and I evaluated that it most likely had some food. I need something to eat after talking with Gundham.</p><p>I entered the Market and noticed the items it held. Surfboards, survival gear, soda bottles bigger than my head (which is saying something), spices, bathing suits, ski goggles, frozen dinners, and anything else you could think of. It was like an infinite warehouse of anything you could ever imagine. I then noticed two people in the store but not quite as awestruck as me. I then noticed one of them was eyeballing me.</p><p>“What are you looking at?” I said to the girl.</p><p>“Ah, I-I’m sorry,” replied the girl, bursting into tears.</p><p>“There is no need to cry over spilt milk. Now, may I request your name?”</p><p>“O-Ok… M-My name is Mikan Tsumiki. Um… From the bottom of my heart, I hope we can get along.”</p><p>“Alright, I shall pay it forward. My name is Byakuya Togami.”</p><p>“Um… D-Do I have permission to remember your name?”</p><p>“What!? Yes? Of course you do.”</p><p>“T-Thank you! I won’t forget yours…”</p><p>Who hurt this girl? It’s obvious that she’s weak from something. Was it bullying? Regardless, I should keep an eye on her in case she gets overwhelmed or taken advantage of.</p><p>“Um, um, um…”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“Uhhh… my mind is drawing a blank… from nervousness… And I prepared over 1,000 different topics to discuss after introductions!” said Mikan, beginning to cry.</p><p>“It’s fine.”</p><p>When I said that, the tears stopped and she looked up.</p><p>“I have time and energy. But first, what is your Ultimate talent?”</p><p>“N-Nurse…”<br/>
“Ah! Good! A nurse in this situation may prove beneficial. I guess I’ll call on you if anyone becomes injured.”</p><p>“Heh heh, hehehe…!”</p><p>“Why… are you laughing?”</p><p>“Ah, I-I’m sorry for laughing so suddenly! It’s just that um… this is the first time someone has appreciated me for being a nurse…”</p><p>Seriously, who hurt this girl!</p><p>“Well, were you happy when I appreciated you?”</p><p>“Y-Yes…”</p><p>“Then keep that happiness while I meet the rest of these people, ok?”</p><p>“O-Ok… T-Thank you for being nice.”</p><p>“...You’re welcome, Mikan.”</p><p>Mikan worries me. I think she really needs a friend. Anyway, I need food, so the aisle I saw that other girl down would be perfect. I can knock two birds with one stone that way. I walked down the aisle and immediately spotted my favorite brand of chips in a family size bag. I'm sorry, girl in the aisle, but you will have to wait. This bag is mine for the taking. I then proceeded to wolf down the entire bag of chips within fifteen seconds, leaving the girl amazed.</p><p>“Oh. My. Goooooosh!” said the girl.</p><p>“Thirteen seconds, hmph, new record,” said I, ignoring the girl for the time.</p><p>“What legend among common man are you!?”</p><p>“I am Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny,” I said triumphantly.</p><p>“I am looking at a god and he has requested introductions!”<br/>
“”I,” “Buki,” “Mio,” “Da!” Put it together and what do you get? Ibuki MIoda!”</p><p>“Well, you’re certainly an… energetic person.”</p><p>“All right, introductions are finished! More importantly, how did you eat that bag of chips that fast!?”</p><p>“Dedication and strategy, Ibuki.”</p><p>“Gasp! Is that why your tummy is so large?”</p><p>She audibly said “gasp.” This island is going to kill me.</p><p>“...Yes, Ibuki.”</p><p>“That makes sense and Ibuki likes your big tummy!”</p><p>“Uh…”</p><p>“Can I play with your tummy!?”</p><p>“Excuse me!?”</p><p>“Can, I, play, with, your, tummy?”</p><p>“...No.”</p><p>“Aww, at least I can admire it.”<br/>
“Anway, you’re gonna looooove this bombastic market.”</p><p>“I didn’t even get two feet through the door and already enjoyed this place.”</p><p>“Hah, I knew you’d like this place. If only I could play with your tummy. I’d get suuuuuper excited if you let me play with it.”</p><p>“...Later.”</p><p>“Yay! I get to hug that belly later! I wonder if it has a good acoustic sound.”</p><p>“Ok… wait what?”</p><p>“Don’t think of the details!”</p><p>You know, when I got that feeling that I wasn’t supposed to be in that classroom, I should have listened. It was my body telling my mind to get the hell out of there before you are subject to all of this junk. Well, at least I got the pleasure of walking inside this market. But mark my words, this island and the people on this trip are going to slowly drive me mad.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I then left the Rocketpunch Market and the bliss of air conditioning. The map said that there were two locations I had yet to visit: a hotel and a farm of sorts. So, like the times before, I walked down the road again. Pretty soon, I saw an iron fence with houses behind it. They were nice to look at but I doubt they are as comfy as the ones I’ve been in. Opening the gate, I was greeted to several houses, a pool, and a hotel saying “Hotel Mirai.” <br/>“Hotel Future?” I thought to myself; what an odd name for a hotel. Well, at least I don’t have to pitch a tent.</p><p>The bungalows seemed nice even from up close so I can only assume they should be somewhat comfy on the inside. Past that, was a rather large pool complete with a shallow and deep end. The only problem to this was a lack of a hot tub to accompany it nor a grill to have a poolside barbeque. There were people to talk to, and I guess the next one was the muscular man I saw earlier.</p><p>“Hmm…?” said the man, “That’s right, I don’t have your name just yet. My name…<br/>I am the Ultimate Team Manager, NEKOMARU NIDAI!!!.” </p><p>“Gah! What is with the shouting!? I am no less than a meter away from you!”</p><p>“You gotta be pumped! You have to let your voice rise from the bottom of your stomach!” said Nekomaru. At least, that’s what I think his name is. I kinda have a ringing in my ear now.</p><p>“My name is Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny,” said I, in a slightly elevated tone than usual.</p><p>“Your voice is too soft! Let it rise out and become loud!!!”</p><p>“...No. I’m not doing that.”</p><p>“What do you mean you’re not doing it!? You have to lift yourself like this, “I am the Ultimate Team Manager, NEKOMARU NIDAI!!!”</p><p>“Stop repeating yourself and stop shouting. I’m not going to forget your name after you caused my ears to ring.”</p><p>“Gah-hahaha! I agree to your terms!” That laugh made the chain on his neck shake violently. Does this man do anything quietly?</p><p>“As for your voice… eh, we’ll work on it,” said the “Ultimate Team Manager, Nekomaru Nidai.”</p><p>“Don’t plan on it…” and with that, I left him.</p><p>Moving past this loud man, I walked around the pool to meet the baby-faced man who called me “fatass” earlier. I must commend him for his clothing, but the hairstyle makes me believe he is nothing more than a punk. </p><p>“...What do you want, fatass?” It appears he had not forgotten the insult he gave me.</p><p>“...Simply your name, baby face,” I replied, causing him to get angry.</p><p>“What was that, you fat bastard!? Did you call me “baby face!?””</p><p>“If you can give out insults, surely you can take them.”</p><p>“What!? Oh, it’s on!” He then proceeded to punch me in the stomach. His hand launched back at him like a rubber band and he gave a confused look.</p><p>“Fuck… What do ya want from me anyway?” he said, defeatedly.</p><p>“Simply your name…”</p><p>“Tsk… Name’s Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu.”</p><p>“My name is Byakuya Togami.” His eyebrow raised when I said that.</p><p>“Hmph,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“I guess we’re both people in high places. Me, an heir to a business, and you, and heir to a clan.”</p><p>“What, you wanna kiss and be friends? Fuck that shit; the hell makes you think I wanna befriend you?”</p><p>“Your words not mine, Fuyuhiko.”</p><p>With that, I left the grump a lump alone. He didn’t even want to look at me after that conversation. Even so, his first impression was still better than Gundham’s. At least Fuyuhiko didn’t speak in tongues.</p><p>Past the rude man, was the red headed girl with a camera at her waist. She seemed to be busy taking photos of the flowers and the butterflies nearby, so I tried to approach carefully. As soon as I walked close, shade covered her camera and the butterflies flew away.</p><p>“Hey! You made them fly away,” said the red head.</p><p>“I guess they didn’t like my presence. My name is Byakuya Togami.”</p><p>“It’s alright… My name is Mahiru Koizumi. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”</p><p>“Counting on me for what, exactly?”</p><p>“Protection. The boys are supposed to protect the girls and that squatter on the beach isn’t doing any favors to himself.”</p><p>“Why would I want to protect you?”</p><p>“Because it’s what you’re supposed to do!”</p><p>“Miss, in my line of work, females are out for themselves and they get along alright without help from a male companion or assistant.”</p><p>“I don’t have time to argue with you,” Mahiru said, annoyed, “but I’m relieved you’re decent enough.”</p><p>“Decent? Elaborate.”</p><p>“Well, there’s too many weirdos on this island. I can’t tell if they’re insane or not.”</p><p>“Oh, thank you. Finally, someone who shares my same thoughts.”</p><p>“I thought I was the only one! You’re like, the only decent boy on this island right now.”</p><p>“Well, that doesn’t say much considering how every male I’ve met either was extremely rude, or just plain strange.”</p><p>“Tell me about it… Oh, and before you go, there’s a guy inside the hotel that I’d watch out for.”</p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p>“Let’s just say that he’s two seconds away from getting a restraining order and/or life deemed as a sex offender.”</p><p>“Great, I bet he’ll be charming. Thanks for the heads-up.”</p><p>“No problem, now shoo. You’re scaring the butterflies.”</p><p>Mahiru is pretty alright. Her thinking gender-wise needs some updating but besides that, she’s one of the most normal people I’ve met so far. She could make a good friend if I do have to spend my time on this island for an extended period of time. Well, now it’s time to enter the hotel.</p><p>I walked into the main entrance of the hotel and saw an above average hotel lobby. It had everything you’d expect to see in a hotel lobby, but there was more to it. Complimentary drinks, a foosball table, and a place to play billiards inhabited the room as well as two more people. One seemed busy playing a game, so I went for the undistracted one.</p><p>“...State your business,” said the girl.</p><p>“Introductions, miss. My name is Byakuya Togami.”</p><p>“Understood, my name is Peko Pekoyama. It is nice to meet you.”</p><p>“Am I correct in assuming that you have a sword on your back?”</p><p>“Indeed, but it is simply made of bamboo.”</p><p>“Ah, a kendo sword, I see. With those serious eyes of yours, I see intent to use it.”</p><p>“Even if my looks may say otherwise, I do not plan on using this sword unless you request a duel.”</p><p>“Hmm… You know, you seem disciplined and you remind me of the man I met outside the hotel.”</p><p>“Which man?”</p><p>“Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. You seem like him if he learned discipline. Have you met him yet?”</p><p>“Y-Yes I have… And I agree that he… he does need to learn some discipline…”</p><p>“Hmm…” It seems as if she knows more about him than she’s letting on. I now have two girls to keep my eyes on. </p><p>“Alright, I’ll be leaving…” I said abruptly.</p><p>“...Understood,” said Peko.</p><p>Peko is hiding something, but I’m unsure what. Although, it simply could be she has a crush on Fuyuhiko. I’ll leave my brain to dwindle on that thought. I mean, everybody’s got a secret, even me…</p><p>I then turned my attention to the distracted girl. Simply approaching would probably do nothing. I may have to nudge her or something. She is playing an arcade game after all.</p><p>“Hello…?” I said to the girl. No response.<br/>“Excuse me, I’d like to introduce myself…” Still nothing.</p><p>“Ahem!”</p><p>“Wha!? Oh, sorry, I must’ve been in too deep,” said the girl, finally. “Ok umm… Introductions. Got it…”</p><p>“I’m Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer… Nice to meet you.”</p><p>“Is that video games or gambling?”</p><p>“Oh, video games. Well, technically with all these loot boxes in games, it’s kinda hard to tell.”</p><p>I have no idea what that means since I don’t play video games.</p><p>“I am Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny.”</p><p>“...”<br/>“...”<br/>“Ok, yeah…”</p><p>“You’re completely absorbed by the game aren’t you?”</p><p>“...Yep.”</p><p>“Alright, I’ll leave you too it…”</p><p>Just like that, I left her to her games. I doubt she even noticed I left as when I climbed the stairs inside the hotel, I heard her say, “Yep” to nobody. I then also watched her almost fall asleep playing the game. I grimaced then proceeded up the stairs to a restaurant. </p><p>It was a good restaurant, very open with many tables. One could easily have a banquet in here with the population of a small town. This room feels comforting, which is something I don’t say very often. There was only one girl here. There is no sign of that man Mahiru told me about.</p><p>“Oh, hello. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone as big as you!” said the girl in the restaurant.</p><p>“Is that meant to be an insult?”</p><p>“No, no! I did not mean to offend you, I am sorry if I did.”</p><p>“Well, you did not. A man of my weight and wealth needs not be offended by simple elementary insults as I am Byakuya Togami.</p><p>“My name is Sonia Nevermind, I am a foreign exchange student from the European kingdom of Novoselic.”</p><p>“Judging by your clothing, I assume you are royalty in the kingdom.”</p><p>“You are correct! I am a princess. It is also my Ultimate talent!”</p><p>“Well then, pleasure to meet you, your highness.” Her porcelain skin, her blue eyes, she’s quite a unique person. She even has a mysterious charm to her presence.</p><p>“Thank you very much! Although, please do not say that to me again.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Well, I’ve never had any friends in my home since no one matched my standing in society. This is a new thing for me, being part of what my parents would say, “common rabble.”</p><p>“I see… so you want us to treat you like a normal friend?”</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>“Then I shall. It was very nice to meet you.”</p><p>“You as well…”</p><p>Just then, a crash was heard from the kitchen so I went to investigate it. I gently opened the door…</p><p>“What is going on in here!?” I announced to the room. On the floor was a man covered in pots in pans.</p><p>“Heh, whoever stacked these pots and pans obviously didn’t know how to put them away correctly. I grab some, and then I slip on the floor.”</p><p>“Are you injured?”</p><p>“No, no. It’s not the first time a pot fell on me. I’ve been hurt by worse in the kitchen…”</p><p>“Alright… What is your name?”</p><p> </p><p>“My name is Teruteru Hanamura. On the streets I’m known as the Ultimate Cook, but can you please call me the Ultimate Chef, it has a kinda big-city flavor to it?” he said as he properly put the pots away.</p><p>“I am Byakuya Togami. I expect your skills in the kitchen to be top-notch; then you will deserve being called the Ultimate Chef.”</p><p>“Yes, sir! Although, this kitchen does prove suitable for my needs so you’ll be calling me “Chef” by tomorrow!”</p><p>“Good…”</p><p>“And I’m happy as can be.”</p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Trapped on an island with some beautiful girls, it’s just what I’ve always dreamed of.” I now see why Mahiru warned me about this man.</p><p>“I have a sneaking suspicion that Miss Peko is a bit of a freak. She’s probably wearing a black thong, what do you think?”</p><p>“...I think you’re most likely going to be killed if you attempt to harass her.”</p><p>“Fair point, fair point. I shall go for someone easier then…”</p><p>“Don’t. If you even think it, I will stop you.”</p><p>“Heh, ok, whatever you say, Byakuya…”</p><p>He’s totally gonna be slapped by someone eventually. Well, his mind is in the gutter so now I have three people to monitor. The more this continues, the more I grow weary. But I must meet everyone even on a half full stomach.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm not sure if I should put notes down at the end of every chapter. I mean, I barely got things to say, but I guess I'll do it if I got some weird thing I was thinking about.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After exiting the Hotel, I was met with the heat of the sun once again. As I walked out of the Hotel Grounds, I got a smile from Mahiru, a nod from Nekomaru, and a pout from Fuyuhiko. According to the map, I had one more location on this island to visit: the Ranch. Just like I did three times before this, I walked down the road. Still, it doesn’t get boring. I don’t know why, but I seem excited to see who I’m going to be grouped with for up to a couple days. It shouldn’t be that hard to gather Hope Fragments, right?</p><p>Walking into the Ranch, I was met with a cow, a toucan, a barn, and a… small child? It only seemed right to talk with this person.</p><p>“Excuse me, but are you the same age as everyone else here…?”</p><p>“Ugh, yes, fatty!” said the girl…</p><p>“Ah, I see… a poor, unfortunate soul who has gotten a late growth spurt. Am I correct in that assumption?”</p><p>“Yes, big boy… Now, why are you here?”</p><p>“Introductions… my name is Byakuya Togami. What is your’s?”</p><p>“I’m Hiyoko Saionji.”</p><p>“Hmph, quick and to the point. Keep this up and I may begin to think that you’re one of the more mature people here.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah… whatever,” I may have been incorrect in that assumption.</p><p>She continued, “If you’re just gonna meet up with people, there’s another person inside the barn.”</p><p>“Thank you for the info.”</p><p>“Ok…”</p><p>How can someone that innocent looking and young be so rude? Actually, nevermind. I’ve met Fuyuhiko and he checks both boxes as well. At least Hiyoko is less likely to get in a fist fight. Anyway, I opened the barn door and saw panties.</p><p>“Ah!” I said, startled by the view.</p><p>“Heeeey! Sorry for scaring ya. I saw the inside of this barn and thought it would be cool to swing from the rafters!” replied the girl.</p><p>“Please, next time you do it, put on some pants. I don’t want to see… that.”</p><p>“Good… besides this incident, may I get your name or is your underwear enough of a greeting?”</p><p>“Heh heh… heh…” she said, weakly. “Name’s Akane Owari! Sorry ‘bout that.”</p><p>“Hmph… my name is Byakuya Togami…”</p><p>“Well, I suck at remembering names, so are you cool if I remember your weight?”</p><p>“Fine by me.”</p><p>“Thanks, B-, B-, B-...”</p><p>“...Byakuya.”</p><p>“There it is! Byakuya! Anyway, I’m heading out for some fresh air, you coming or what?”</p><p>“I am leaving if you are leaving,” I then opened the barn door for her.</p><p>“Ooooh, a gentlemen. Keep that up and you’re bound to swoon some girl off her feet!”</p><p>“That is not my intent for my time here.”</p><p>“Oh… are you g-”</p><p>“No. I am not. If you have any other pointless questions, please, keep them to yourself.”</p><p>“Alright…”</p><p>Akane seems… dumb. I am surprised that someone as athletic as her doesn’t bother to wear shorts or pants while doing these stunts. Then there’s also her blouse which is too small for her chest. I hope that when that button gives in, I’m not there to witness it. Then again, if I were to be there, I could stop people from seeing her chest with my fat. Hmm, I guess it may be better for her sake if I am to be near her when it happens.</p><p>As I left the barn, I saw Hiyoko on the ground pressing her finger on the dirt.</p><p>“What are you doing?” I asked her.</p><p>“Duh, squishing Mr. Ants!” replied Hiyoko</p><p>I then watched as she crushed three more “Mr. Ants” to death. I then left the Ranch with pure disappointment. I then checked my map and noticed that there was still the bridge left. I had not gotten the chance to cross the bridge, so I might as well now. The bridges were long and went quite high into the sky. As I crossed one, I noticed many sights in the distance but an amusement park especially stood out to me. If we have access to that park, I may actually enjoy this trip. After crossing the bridge, my map said that there was a park in the center of this island.</p><p>The park was nice. It was a good place to rest my legs after the journey I made meeting people. Even better, I had a lovely statue to gaze at while I contemplated life here. I still had questions such as, “How are we here,” “Why are we to forget about Hope’s Peak,” and, “Who is making us stay here?” All of a sudden, as I was deep in thought, two people walked up to me.”</p><p>“...What do you want?” I said, mildly annoyed.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, Byakuya… Have time for a small introduction?” said Nagito.</p><p>“...Introduction?”</p><p>“C’mon, Hajime,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Um, hello. My name is Hajime Hinata,” said the man.</p><p>Hmm… that was weak and these people drained my patience. Let’s just say I wasn’t really in the mood for this.</p><p>“My name is Byakuya Togami… I’m done. That’s it, right? Back off.”</p><p>“Well, I suppose that’s Byakuya for you…” said Nagito.</p><p>“What do you mean?” said Hajime.</p><p>“That guy is particularly special, even by Ultimate standards. He’s next in line to inherit his family’s massive financial conglomerate. He’s already begun managing the business operations, and his net worth is, well, enormous. It’s completely accurate to call him the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. He’s the epitome of “exceptional.””</p><p>Finally, someone recognized my greatness. *sigh* My thoughts are ruined now, so I guess I must talk with this man.</p><p>“You there, Hajime, was it…?”</p><p>“Eh?” replied Hajime, draining me a little further.</p><p>“Tell me… why did Hope’s Peak Academy choose you? What is your Ultimate talent?</p><p>“Um… Th-The thing is… I honestly can’t remember.”</p><p>“You don’t remember…?” I said, taken back.</p><p>“Apparently he lost his memory due to shock… He can’t really remember much,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Hmph, how foolish,” I responded.</p><p> </p><p>“Umm…” said Hajime.</p><p>“...I do believe we have finished talking. How much longer do you intend to stand there? Move along! That’s the only thing you skinny types are good at, it seems.”</p><p>“Let’s just leave, Hajime…” said Nagito.</p><p>“Yeah, sure thing,” said Hajime.</p><p>Now with my thoughts derailed, new ones entered. Now I want to figure out what Hajime’s Ultimate is. I may have gotten off on the wrong foot there, but I was very tired from the people here, and I guess I just wasn’t having it at the moment. I must wonder what-</p><p>*Ding Dong, Bing Bong*</p><p>Before I could even say, “What was that,” a monitor nearby flickered on and Usami’s picture came up.</p><p>“Congratulations everyone! It appears that everyone has finished collecting the Hope Fragments! I’m… *sniff*...I’m so happy… Soooo… I’ve prepared a present for everyone that’ll make you all veeeeery happy! I apologize for the trouble, but please gather at the beach! Tee hee hee! May shining hope be with you all!” And then the screen powered off.</p><p>I’ve been on my feet all day, and now I have to walk again. I promptly left the park, leaving Nagito and Hajime who still haven’t left, and walked briskly to the beach. Of course, Hajime and Nagito were the last to arrive.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy Halloween bitches!</p><p>By the time this was posted, however, it was November 1st so.... Merry Christmas?</p><p>Anyway, finally finished with introductions; but we aren't out of the prologue yet. So still, it's basically just Danganronpa 2 until we actually get things to happen. Also, this was posted at 01:47; sleep is for the weak.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I watched the duo get closer, each step getting slightly more awkward the more I looked. Finally, they got within a good distance to call them a part of the group before I started talking to the runts.</p><p>“You guys are the last to arrive. What are you dilly-dallying for?”</p><p>“Sorry to keep you all waiting,” said Nagito in a frighteningly cool attitude.</p><p>“Well, it’s all right…” I decided to let their tardiness go for now, “More importantly, this is our only chance to talk between ourselves before that rabbit returns.”</p><p>“Kyahaha! Let’s talk!” said Hiyoko as her speech nearly deafened me.</p><p>“Now then, let me hear your initial impressions of this island,” I said, shrugging off the pain in my ear.</p><p>“I happened to notice numerous blocked off bridges on the central island…” said Peko.</p><p>“Oh, those are so everybody doesn’t get lost! I tried to cross one of them and that rabbit showed up and told me, so I’m telling the truth!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“So we don’t get lost…? Is this island really so big?” said Peko.</p><p>She was right in a capacity; how would we get lost, especially if we have a detailed map on our persons at all times? This place continues to make little sense.</p><p>“But if you look at it in depth, it’s just a normal island, right? It’s got a resort and everything! Well, not that I’ve ever been to a resort before, but…” said Kazuichi in an optimistic tone.</p><p>“Also, there’s a biiiiig ranch!” said Hiyoko, not all that loud this time.</p><p>“Um… there’s also a large supermarket, too… It looks like it stocks everything from food to living amenities,” said Mikan, trying her best to contribute to the conversation. She didn’t stumble in the sentence or say “I’m sorry,” so, I’d call it an improvement.</p><p>“The hotel was really nice, too. It’d be great if we can stay there,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“The restaurant inside the hotel was also very nice. It seemed to cater to a more plebeian taste,” said Sonia. I also kinda agree with that statement.</p><p>“Can you guys listen to what I wanna say, too? I… found something very important on this island,” said Teruteru, filling us with anticipation. “Girls! Very, very cute girls! Aha! All over the place!” also said by Teruteru which launched me into a state of pure disappointment. </p><p>“Grooooooss! I’m getting goosebumps!” said Ibuki, painfully.</p><p>“All of you are fools… I can’t believe nobody has mentioned the most serious truth,” said I as I began to point something out.</p><p>“...The most serious truth?” said Chiaki.</p><p>I’m surprised no one’s gotten it yet, “If no one here realized it, you’re all bigger fools than I thought.”</p><p>“What did you say, you fat bastard? Don’t be talkin’ all big and shit!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Small dogs shouldn’t bark so loud,” said I, putting him in his rightly deserved place.</p><p>I then heard some murmurs from the crowd. Fuyuhiko was muttering some curses, Gundham was talking with his hamsters, and Hajime just… looked kinda out of it before he broke himself out of it.</p><p>“Hey, what’s the most serious truth?” said Hajime. “Did… did you find something about this island?”</p><p>“Have you all gone to the park that’s across the bridge?” I asked the crowd.</p><p>“The park with that weird bronze statue of all those creepy animals, right?” said Hajime.</p><p>I then remembered one of the many thoughts I had while in the park.<br/>“When I saw it, I remembered a story I’d heard before.”<br/>“There’s an island in the Pacific Ocean, a beautiful island paradise where summer never ends… It consists of a central island surrounded by five different islands… It’s also said that five holy animals symbolize each of those surrounding islands.”</p><p>“Eh…?” said Hajime, stupidly.</p><p>“That island’s name is… Jabberwock Island.”</p><p>It felt like I knew what island this was when I first got here and talked to Nagito on the beach. I hide so many things from myself that I’m surprised I remembered the story of the island anyway. </p><p>“Could this island be…? Jabberwock Island?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Is that… the name of this island?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Still, there is something on my mind,” said I. In fact, according to what I’ve heard, Jabberwock Island is already…” I thought it best to cancel this thought as I said, “...Never mind.”</p><p>“Hold it right there! That’s a rather incomplete story you’ve told us,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“No need to shout. I’ll let you know once I obtain more information,” I responded.</p><p>“Meh, I don’t care what this island’s called. Nikoniko Island or Papua Island or whatever… Doesn’t change the fact that we all gotta live here, right?” said Akane.</p><p>“Living together on this tropical island sure is exciiiiting! I’m super looking forward to it!” said Ibuki, happily.</p><p>“Right on! This ain’t a bad school at all!” said Kazuichi. I should really call him Soda more often. It’s easier to get out and reminds me of one of my favorite drinks. And before you say anything, it’s ginger ale.</p><p>“H-Hey? You guys?” said Hajime, struggling to have anyone hear him.</p><p>“Hmm, I like this island too! ...Can’t say the same about the rest of you cretins,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Huh? Did I hear something?” said Teruteru as sweat rolled down his forehead.</p><p>“I’m still worried, but I don’t feel as worried as I did earlier… Yeah, since there’s no danger or inconvenience, I feel like this won’t be a problem!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Hey, listen to what you guys are saying. We need to stay calm and think about this…! We’re all here to attend Hope’s Peak Academy, right? But we’re living on an island like this instead… No matter what, it’s completely weird!” said Hajime, obviously still worried. He keeps talking sense and I may begin to like him.</p><p>“Why don’t you stop talking for a while? Go cool your head off or something,” said Gundham, snidely.</p><p>“...Eh?” was Hajime’s only response.</p><p>“P-Plus even if we wanted to leave, there’s no way we can…” said Teruteru with an ounce of distress.</p><p>“There’s no ship, and the planes are just for show…” said Kazuichi, also kinda distressed.</p><p>“From what I’ve discovered, there’s no way to contact the outside world, either… In conclusion… it would be impossible to call for help,” said Peko.</p><p>“Then why don’t we just swim home?” said Akane, stupidly.</p><p>“There’s no way we can swim that far…!” said Mikan in a tone I haven’t heard her speak in yet.</p><p>“SHOW SOME SPIRIT!!!” said Nekomaru, very, very, loudly. </p><p>“I’m telling you, that’s impossible!” said Mahiru in a tone not too much quieter than Nekomaru’s.</p><p>“Th-Then… what if we cut down some trees and made a raft…?” said Hajime. It seems like a good plan, but when you factor in food, weight, space, and time, it gets bad fast.</p><p>“Nuh-uh! You can’t do that! That’s the biggest of no-nos!” said Usami as she popped out of thin air.<br/>“Please recall the guidelines of this school trip! Littering is not allowed. Let us coexist with this island’s bountiful nature in mutual prosperity. Got it? I want everyone to get along and live peacefully on this beautiful tropical island.”</p><p>“Wh-What’s with these rules? Who cares about that…!” said Hajime in a near panic mode voice.</p><p>“Stop,” said I before Hajime went into full panic mode, “This rabbit seems to be finicky about these so-called rules. Based on that, what if your actions place everyone here in danger?”</p><p>“Th-The word “danger” is a bit much! I wouldn’t do something like that!” said Usami…</p><p>“Hajime… I understand how you feel, but you need to calm down a little, okay?” said Nagito.</p><p>“F-For now… as long as we don’t do anything weird, it seems there is no danger…” said Mikan.</p><p>“And as long as we gather the Hope Fragments, we’ll be able to get off this island soon,” said Chiaki, following up on that.</p><p>“Y-You’re all just gonna believe that…?” said Hajime.</p><p>“There’s no choice but to believe… for now, that is,” said I.</p><p>“Anyway, Usami! What’s this present you mentioned in your announcement earlier?” said Ibuki, destroying the mood.</p><p>“Ah, that’s right! Well, of course I didn’t forget… Love! Love! This is it!” said Usami as she passed out little figurines of herself on a lanyard. “Don’t be upset! I’ve prepared one for you all, so don’t worry!” </p><p>At this point, I’d rather be stabbed several times in the chest and abdomen than have to listen to this godforsaken rabbit again.<br/>“What is this…?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Pfft, teehee! It’s an Usami Strap! If you squeeze the tummy, it talks,” said Usami.</p><p>“I’m Usami… Magical Miracle Girl ★ Usami. I’m an itty bitty girl who’s sweet like milk!” said the… thing as it was squeezed.</p><p>“Isn’t it cute? Love! Love!” said the rabbit.</p><p>“...What a waste of time,” said I.</p><p>“Man, and I got my hopes up, too…” said Ibuki. It appears everyone shared my disappointment.</p><p>“I’m ashamed I even had my hopes up!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Really? I think it’s pretty cute. Especially how the ears look like a rabbit’s…” said Chiaki but before she could get that sentence out, she was interrupted with Usami saying,</p><p>“Well, Usami does mean “rabbit,” you know!”</p><p> </p><p>I then proceeded to watch as many of the straps ended up on the beach sand. Only Chiaki, Mikan, and Kazuichi pocketed the straps. I decided to pocket it as well or else I’d have to listen to Usami.</p><p>“Hey! You can’t taint nature with trash!” said Usami. </p><p>“See? Even you think they’re trash!” said Ibuki and I have to say, that was pretty good.</p><p>Usami then picked up the straps in the sand with tears in her eyes and a lonely expression on her face.</p><p>“Ugh… And I even prepared one more present, too, but now I don’t wanna give it to you bad kids…” said Usami.</p><p>“Hm? You have something else?” said Peko.</p><p>“Well, compared to the Usami Strap, it’s not that big of a deal… Basically, I’ve prepared a motive for everyone.”</p><p>“A motive…?” said Hajime, back to being worried.</p><p>“That’s right. A motive for everyone to get along. We’ve come all this way to a tropical island, so I thought it’d be great to do something island-themed.”</p><p>“Like what? Are you thinkin’ of throwin’ a big party or somethin’?” said Akane.</p><p>“Coooorrect!” said Usami. I’m surprised Akane was right.</p><p>“Is it a festival? Or maybe a miniature shrine? How wonderful!” said Sonia.</p><p>“Excuse me, Miss Sonia… My loins are still full of poison and I’d appreciate it if you could suck it out with your mouth,” said Teruteru. I wasn’t there for the start of that conversation, but I don’t need context to figure it out.</p><p>“Knock it off, Teruteru!” said Nagito, doing my job for me.</p><p>“Oh, your tenderloins? You betcha,” said Sonia, naively.</p><p>“Just ignore him, Sonia!” said Nagito, desperately.</p><p>“If we’re talking about fun parties on a tropical island, maybe it should be a barbeque or something?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Ah, a campfire sounds fun, too,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Let’s find a hoop snake and kill it!” said Hiyoko in a worrying joyful tone.</p><p> </p><p>“Is looking for one not enough for you!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“It seems everyone has different ideas, but if we’re gonna be at the ocean, then first… Tadaa! This is what it’s all about!” said Usami as she gave us bags.</p><p>“A swimming bag?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Coooorrect! Love! Love!” said Usami, annoyingly.</p><p>“Whoaaaa! Then that means…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“That’s right. I have swimsuits for everyone. Well, school swimsuits actually. I hope that’s okay,” said the rabbit.</p><p>“A-Are you telling us to go swimming…? In a situation like this…?” said Hajime, still not backing down.</p><p>“It’s not like I’m ordering you guys to swim or anything. It’s just, if you wanna go swimming, you can…”</p><p>“Th-There’s no way I’m going swimming! There’s no way anyone would be so thoughtless as to go swimming in a situation like this…”</p><p>“YAAAHHHOOOOOO!” said Ibuki right after Hajime finished talking.</p><p>Hajime then said his catchphrase, “...Eh?”</p><p>“Aw yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! With weather this nice, there’s no way I’m gonna pass on swimming!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“I agree! Even my loins agree! See?” said you know who.</p><p>“Your tenderloins? I understand!” said Sonia.... Ugh.</p><p>“S-Seriously, don’t try to understand!” said Nagito, again.</p><p>“How long has it been since I last swam in the sea?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Allllllll riiiiiight! Let’s go change!!!” said Nekomaru.</p><p>Those who wanted to swim grabbed a bag and ran back to the hotel to change. Nagito didn’t immediately sprint down as he had a conversation with the still skeptical Hajime. Whatever he said, Nagito ran off like the others. </p><p>Nothing tragic is happening here. I’m still in the same boat as Hajime, but I do believe he needs to calm a bit. There is definitely something strange afoot, but I don’t have the answers nor much sensible evidence yet.</p><p>“Hmph,” I said as I looked at my surroundings.</p><p>It was just me, Hajime, Fuyuhiko, Chiaki, Akane, and Hiyoko on this beach. Everyone else would return soon so it was best to wait here for the onslaught of people in swimsuits.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey again.</p><p>I may try to get at least one chapter a week if I'm up to it. Some days, it's total burnout while others, I stay up till 3 writing this shit or thinking about this shit.</p><p>Thankfully, these "thinks" have proven useful as I mostly everything planned out a bit. I'm gonna have a rough time when it comes to trials though. I have murders and Executions mostly planned out though. As someone who has roots in Mortal Kombat, you better expect this stuff to be more brutal than any game. Well, that's the intent anyway.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While I stood next to the people who didn’t want to swim, I felt calm for the first time today. It was, dare I say, peaceful. I disliked at least three people on the beach but it felt good to stand there next to them, pretending like they don’t exist. For a moment, I felt happy to be alone. There was no one around to… to… I-I should save that conversation for later when I’m brave enough.</p><p>My peace was only broken by Hajime, who said, “You’re not gonna swim, Byakuya?”</p><p>“Of course not,” I replied, quickly. “However, don’t think that makes us friends or anything. Our reasons couldn’t be more different.”</p><p>“Different reasons…?”</p><p>“You cannot accept our situation because you’re nothing but a coward, right?”</p><p>“C-Coward…!?”</p><p>“The Usami thing is not lying to us… You’re starting to realize that, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Th-Then… why aren’t you going to swim?”</p><p>“I simply don’t like ocean water. It’s too salty.” That should get him off my back for a while, even if it’s a bit childish.</p><p>I then watched Hajime talk with Akane who began taking off her clothes before Usami stepped in. For once, I’m thankful for the rabbit’s existence.</p><p>“Ah! Speaking of which, everyone has returned!” said the rabbit.</p><p>Just like that, a horde of swimsuited people jumped into the ocean with endless joy.</p><p>“YAAAAAHOOOOOO!” said Soda.</p><p>“Yaaaay! The sea!” said Mikan. </p><p>“Aaah, the water is so cool. It feels great!” said Sonia.</p><p>“Uah! Too salty! This water’s too salty! It’s not going easy on me!” said Ibuki. I wonder if that reinforces what I said to Hajime.</p><p>“Heeeey, I got some suntan lotion from the supermarket. Would anyone like a rubdown?” said Teruteru…. *sigh*</p><p>“Oh! You’re quite considerate! Now then, will you apply it right away?” said Nekomaru, making me chuckle inside.</p><p>“Eh? Rubbing lotion on a muscular man…?” said Teruteru, worried. “All right, no problem! My tastes are pretty open, you know!” Oh… Oh no…</p><p>“You seem a little *too* open… Like you’re covering too many bases by yourself,” said Mahiru. At this point, I think he’s just trying to get laid.</p><p>“ Mmhmhm… I’ll make sure to slather you with lots and lots of oil,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Wh-What is this feeling of intense bloodlust!?” said Nekomaru. You know that peace I had a while ago? I want it back… now.</p><p>Despite that, it was alright watching them enjoy the moment. Gundham managed to build an impressive sandcastle for his hamsters. I actually found some joy in watching them crawl into the windows and on top of towers. Usami also said some things but I’m learning to slowly tune her out. I then heard Hajime scream and ask Usami for a swimsuit. It appears he let go his questions and decided to go for it. I still have those questions, but they’re tucked away for now.</p><p>“Heeeey you guys! Don’t forget about me! Hey hey! Wait for me! Let me join in the fun!” said Hajime.</p><p>Just as he said that, the sky turned a sickly gray and I felt cold. A chill ran down my spine and I felt an unnerving presence on the beach. </p><p>“What’s happening…? These strange clouds… This doesn’t look natural at all…!” said Hajime.</p><p>“Eh? Huh…?” said Usami.</p><p>“Hey, what’s going on?” said Hajime. “What did you do!? This is obviously not right! It was sunny just a few minutes ago!” </p><p>“Wh-What is this!?” said the rabbit.</p><p>“...Huh?” said Hajime. I was expecting “Eh?” but I’ll take it.</p><p>“I didn’t do anything… What is all this…? There’s no way! Something like this shouldn’t be happening!”</p><p>Just then, a monitor on a tree turned on and a figure spoke from it.</p><p>“Aah, ahh…! Mike check! Mike check! Ah, ah! Ah, ah! Can you hear me, can you hear me?”</p><p>This voice was similar to Usami’s laid back attitude, but it felt much worse. If Usami’s voice was peaceful, this voice was of war.</p><p>“Puhuhu… Surprised? You were totally surprised! ...Riiight? Now then, sorry to keep you all waiting for so long. Let’s leave all this worthless entertainment behind… It’s time for the main attraction! You guys better hustle over to Jabberwock Park!” then the screen turned off.</p><p>“Could it be? This voice…! I-If this is… Oh, this is very bad. I gotta do something… It’s all up to me!” said Usami before disappearing.</p><p>“H-Hey! Wait!” said Hajime.</p><p>“It seems that… was an unusual occurrence…” said I.</p><p>“It’s best if… we go, too… Jabberwock Park, was it? Let’s hurry,” said Chiaki before exiting the beach. </p><p>“H-Hey! Wait!” said Akane before following suit.</p><p>“B-But what about everyone who’s swimming?” said Hajime.</p><p>“There’s no time to wait for them to change. I have a bad feeling about this… I’ll head over first,” said I, and then I left for Jabberwock Park.</p><p>I was the first to arrive at the park and passed by Chiaki and Akane. I also saw Akane picking up speed as though we were racing, but I still beat her.</p><p>“*Huff* You know… you run fast for a… *huff* for a fat guy…” said Akane.</p><p>“...I call it motivated,” said I.</p><p>As Akane got her breath back, the others who didn’t change came and Usami began shouting.</p><p>“Wh-Where are you!? Where are you hiding!?” </p><p>“H-Hiding? Who are you talking to?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Puhuhuhuhu!’ said a voice.</p><p>“...Eh?” said Hajime. There it is! There’s his catchphrase!</p><p>“Hey-hey! Where are you? Show yourself!” said Usami.</p><p>The voice gave a sinister laugh in response. Everyone else then arrived in time to see an oddity occur. A white and black thing similar in stature and shape to Usami jumped out from behind the big statue.</p><p>“Why, hello there! Thank you all for waiting! Long time, no see guys! I am Monokuma! I’m the headmaster of this academy! Ahem, now that I have made my dashing appearance, the first thing I need to say is… This is so friggin’ lame! Lame, I say! Lamer than the lamest lamesauce! Oh, wait. Lamesauce!? Is that tasty?” said the thing.</p><p>“Just as I thought… It was you! But...how…? Why is Monokuma here!?” said Usami.</p><p>“Aw shaaaadup! I’m livid, you know… And I’m about ready to barf thanks to your lukewarm attitude! Just what’s with this “heart-throbbing school trip” crap anyway!? I’m bored! So hopelessly bored! This just ain’t fun at all! You better knock off this farce right now! You’ve gotta make this, you know… meet the demands of the world. Nobody wants to see high school students living calm and peaceful lives. What everyone wants to see is… Other people’s misery… and despair... “ said… Monokuma?</p><p>“Wh-What the hell is with this stuffed animal…!? Nothing he’s saying makes any damn sense…!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“What… what is going on? What is that thing?” said I.</p><p>“Be careful, everyone! Stay back and leave this to me! I don’t know why Monokuma is here, but as long as I have this Magic Stick…” but before Usami could finish, Monokuma jumped at her.</p><p>“Yah! Opening!” said Monokuma.</p><p>Then, sixteen high school students watched two sentient stuffed animals beat each other up. I really hope this is a dream or some type of drug trip now.</p><p>“Dun-dun-dah-dahhhhh! VICTORY!” said Monokuma, cracking Usami’s stick in two.</p><p>“Noooooo! My Magic Stick!” said Usami.</p><p>“Now then, what to do after my flawless victory… First of all, you’re too plain. White rabbits are faaaar too plain. Soooo, I’m gonna make you in my image! Aaah-hahahaha!” said Monokuma.</p><p>Monokuma then resumed beating Usami up and at one point I think he tried to shove Usami’s Magic Stick up her… I’m not finishing that sentence. </p><p>“Taaa-daaa! ALL DONE!” said Monokuma. Usami was now wearing a diaper and shared Monokuma’s half white, half colored pattern. </p><p>“Wha… What is this!?” said Usami. “I’m not supposed to look weird like this! Change me back to normal!”</p><p>“My, my… Defying your big brother’s fashion sense. Is Monomi a little troublemaker?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“...Big brother? Monomi?”</p><p>“Your current position is too wishy-washy, so I’m setting you to be my little sister, Monomi… Though it’s only an external setting, after all.”</p><p> </p><p>“W-Why do I have to be your little sister!?”</p><p>“...Big sister, then? You wanna be the older sister that got separated at birth? Hmm, that doesn’t really feel right… Yep, you’re definitely more like a little sister. Soooo that’s how it’s gonna be… Monomi! From now on, if you ever disobey me, I will never forgive you!” </p><p>“H-How…? Even the display changed to Monomi!? H-Hey! I won’t let you make up your own settings!” said Monomi… Wait, I was still thinking Usami. Why did I unconsciously call her Monomi?</p><p>Anyway, Monokuma punched Monomi and said, “Stupid fool! Do you think you can win against me!?”</p><p>“Ow! It hurts a lot when you punch me!”</p><p> </p><p>“How about that!? Now you’ve learned your lesson!”</p><p>“Ugh… if only I still had the Magic Stick, I could have totally beaten that awful Monokuma…”</p><p>“Puhu! It’s your own fault for leaving yourself open! Even a one second opening is life-threatening on a battlefield.”</p><p>“Hey… what’s with this stupid performance…?” said Fuyhiko, breaking the two animals’ conversation.</p><p>“W-Who friggin’ knows…!” said Akane.</p><p>“But… it’s obvious something bad is happening,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Whaa-!? What is this!? What’s going on!?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Huh? Now she's all weird-looking!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Weird looking…? She matches me now, you know! How insensitive…” said Monokuma.</p><p>“There’s more of ‘em!?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Wh-What does this mean? What *is* that black and white tanuki…?” said Peko.</p><p>“I’m not a tanuki, I’m a bear! I’m Monokuma!” said the bear. </p><p>“I-I don’t understand it myself, but… a new stuffed animal appeared? I mean… why is that stuffed animal even talking…?” said Soda.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously, I’m not a stuffed animal, I’m Monokuma! The headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy!”</p><p>“Monokuma…?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Did you say… headmaster!?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Regardless… it appears everyone has gathered. Now then, as the headmaster, I shall make a formal declaration! From this point onward, the killing school trip will now commence! A school trip where everyone gets along has no stimulation at all! And it’s so damn boring! Nobody wants to play a game like that! You guys agree with me, right!? Sooooo, let’s begin our killing school trip! Naturally, you guys are the contestants!”</p><p>“K-Killing… contestants…?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Wh-What are you saying!? I will absolutely, positively not allow such bloody events!”</p><p>Monokuma then kicked Monomi and she said, “Owww! It hurts a lot when you kick me, too!”</p><p>What kind of junk is this? A killing game? Wh-What is going on here!?</p><p>“Jeez… Your brain sure is tiny, Monomi. How many times do I have to tell you? Pay attention this time. Except in manga, a little sister is never smarter than her big brother. Now then, we got off topic for a while, so let's go back to the explanation of the killing school trip.”</p><p>“Wh-Wh-What do you mean, “killing school trip”...?” said Mikan.</p><p>“Isn’t it obvious? You guys are going to kill each other!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Kill each other… I see… K-KILL EACH OTHER!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Wh-What are you saying? That’s impossible!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Well, don’t you think it’s kinda lame and boring that you can’t leave the island unless you all get along? So I’m changing the rules! If you want off this island, then please kill one of your friends! And then, make it through the class trial without getting caught!”</p><p>“...Class trial?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“That’s right! The class trial is the real charm of this killing school trip! If one of you gets murdered… The surviving members must participate in the class trial! At the class trial, there will be a showdown between the blackened killer and the spotless students. During the trial, you’ll present your arguments about who you think the blackened is. The outcome will be decided by popular vote and if you arrive at the correct answer… Only the blackened killer will be punished. The rest may continue their school trip. However… if you choose poorly… then the one who got away with murder will survive, and the rest of you will receive your punishment. As far as the class trial rules go… that’s all there is to it! Which means, if you kill someone and make it through the class trial, you get to live and leave this island. However, if you are found guilty during the class trial, then you will be punished. Puhuhu, it’s a familiar but simple rule, right?”</p><p>“You… keep repeating that word “punish” over and over. What’s the deal with that?” said Soda.</p><p>“Basically… it’s an execution!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“E-Execution!?” said Sonia.</p><p>“The pleasing punishment that follows the class trial! This is one of the perks of the killing school trip. Puhuhu, what sort of spine-tingling punishments will we see? I can’t help it, I’m already getting excited! There may even be some unique punishments, like impaling you through the head with a Thingamajig Claw! Or, there could be a boring one like injecting someone with a large needle. Oh well, as long as it gets the job done! Ahem, any method of killing is fine. Popular ones like bludgeoning, stabbing, strangling, and poisoning… To shooting, beating, running over, burning, bombing, slashing, electrocution, crushing, cursing… Please, choose whichever killing method you prefer. No time limit, so you can kill as you please… It’s an All-You-Can-Murder Buffet… A theme park of murder… That’s what this killing school trip is all about!”</p><p>My entire body went into panic. Suddenly, my life is on the line and this has crossed into the worst day of my life.</p><p>“D-Don’t fuck with me…” said Fuyhiko, nervously.</p><p>“Th-That’s right! Who on earth would kill someone?” said Soda.</p><p>“I’m not ordering anyone to kill. Whether or not you kill someone is entirely up to you. But be careful! Youth doesn’t last forever! It’ll be too late if you guys wait till you’re in your forties to start killing each other!” said Monokuma.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I don’t believe any of this… I don’t believe any of this… I don’t believe any of this…” said Teruteru, in a full panic.</p><p>“Wh-What if nobody ever gets murdered? Does that mean we’ll never leave this island?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Who knows! Anyway, I’d like for you all to go through with this killing school trip in a healthy and positive manner,” said Monokuma.</p><p>“W-Wait just a minute! Why do we have to do this!?” shouted Mahiru.</p><p>“Well, it’s obvious. There’s a reason you all need to kill each other.”</p><p>Hajime then said his catchphrase, “...Eh?” one more time for good luck.</p><p>“Hold on… You’ve been running your mouth for quite some time now… I don’t want to get violent, but if I do, I have no idea what might happen!” said Nekomaru. I do agree with him, this bear has been talking for too long.</p><p>“What, a fight? Do I need to beat the crap outta that black and white bear?” said Akane in a very excited manner.</p><p>“Who would dare try to kill…? I’ll put a stop to it, with force if necessary,” said Peko. </p><p>“If you keep saying stupid stuff, the athletes in our group are gonna lose their patience!” said Ibuki. I already lost my patience a while ago, so I may join them.</p><p>“Ah, is that so…? Well, I guess I expected this reaction… If you guys wanna do things by force, then I’ll have to fight back with a little force of my own…” said Monokuma. </p><p>Alright, now you have my full attention, Monokuma. Show me what you can do.</p><p>“Force? What are you gonna do…!?” said Monomi. </p><p>Monokuma then turned to the statue and said, “Surge… O gods who dwell between light and darkness… IN accordance with our contract, I summon thee now… Come forth, Monobeasts!”</p><p>The ground quaked and everyone braced like it was an earthquake, for all we know, it probably is one. The statue in the park cracked and chipped away revealing metal and each figure came to life, ridding themselves of their stone shell. Lights turned red and suddenly, each statue was alive and moving. I thought nothing could overtake two stuffed animals fighting in the section of weird, but this clearly outmatched it.</p><p>“Huh… huh….” said Sonia, gasping for air.</p><p>“Wh-Why ...did the statue move?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“That’s no statue! They’re Monobeasts!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“M-M-M-M-Monster!” said Soda, cutting off Monokuma.</p><p>“No, I just said they’re Monobeasts!”</p><p>“N-No… this can’t be… This is just… too weird…!” said Mikan.</p><p>“Am I… having a nightmare or something…?” said Fuyuhiko. I wish it was one, Fuyuhiko, but I keep pinching myself and feeling pain.</p><p>“Kyahaha! A nightmare, he says! He just admitted his brain is a total flower patch!” said Hiyoko. Someone is going to punt that kid across the bridge one of these days if she keeps up that attitude.</p><p>“Jeez… You guys sure are a skeptical bunch… If something doesn’t fit within your narrow notions of common sense, you just deny it outright… How stupid. Ignorant cavemen are better than you all! Classifying events according to their genre is a disease of the modern age,” said Monokuma while he unsheathed his claws.</p><p>“Everyone! Please stay back! I-I will protect everyone! Even at the cost of my own life…! I will protect everyone!” said Monomi. If anyone else said that, I would have rallied to them… but not Monomi. I just can’t rally to her side.</p><p>Monokuma then seemed like he was about to puke before saying, “Huh… what’s this? Ah, I know! This is nausea! Your sickly sweet sense of justice makes me wanna puke! Alrighty then, it’s decided! You’ll be my example to everyone!”</p><p>Monokuma then hopped aboard one of the Monobeasts and Monomi began to shiver with fear. The Monobeast revealed a minigun as Monokuma raised his right arm. As soon as he put it down, the beast fired. Round after round entered Monomi and the surrounding concrete. It even managed to destroy a couple trees behind her. As the bullets went by, a stray one clipped Hajime and a small portion of blood oozed from the cut. It was mere centimeters away from straight up killing him. It was at that moment I realized, this is all real. And you know what, I’m absolutely terrified right now but I’m doing my damndest to hide it right now.</p><p>Teruteru screamed and was followed up by more screams and some slurred speech from Kazuichi and Ibuki.</p><p>“I-Is that a demon…!? Or perhaps it’s… a weapon from the future…!?” said Gundham.</p><p>“Monobeasts are dreadful weapons of destruction! Puhuhu… That’s right, this is what I wanted. This feeling of despair! Giving an example was totally the right call!” said Monokuma, followed by laughter. </p><p>No one tried to run or move, so it’s safe to assume that we’re all in the same boat of fear right now. We can’t do anything about these things, hell, I doubt a nuke would keep them at bay for long.</p><p>“Now then, I believe I’ve made my point… Just so we’re clear, you guys can’t defy me. If you don’t want to end up as fish food, you better not disobey me! Just so you know… I don’t feel mercy or sympathy. Cuz I’m a bear, after all. An excuse like, “I got high off this tropical atmosphere,” won’t work on me at all! Also, in addition to the killing school trip, I’ve already updated the e-Handbook. There, the rules for the killing school trip are written, so you better read them thoroughly. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse, either. Well, that’s also true of any society, really. Now then… Enjoy the remainder of this liberating and harsh school trip!” and with that, he was gone as well as the Monobeasts.</p><p>I managed to cool down a bit from before. Seeing those beasts gone got my head in the right place again.</p><p>“Wh-What just… happened…?” said Nagito.</p><p>“I-I… just won’t believe it… That’s it… That’s all there is to it... “ said Teruteru.</p><p>“I-It’d be one thing if we were up against a human or even an animal… What the hell can we do against a monster like that!?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“I-It’s impossible… Why is something impossible happening…?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Well, it’s not… really impossible. Those Monobeasts or whatever they’re called are machines. Thus, Monokuma must also be the same… As long as they’re machines… It means someone made them, and is controlling them,” said I, trying to get everyone in a cooler state of mind.</p><p>“Who could be responsible…? Why were we put into this unexplainable situation…” said Peko.</p><p>“Hey, who is it!? Who!?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Aha… haha, it could be anyone. It’s not like I believe it anyway. There’s no way I’d believe something like that. More importantly, are you guys hungry? Let’s stop thinking about this and just eat,” said Teruteru. I appreciate him trying to distract us, though I am quite hungry right now.</p><p>“...You can eat first,” said Chiaki.</p><p>Getting back to the main topic, I said, “No matter how confused or upset you are, I don’t mind. However, remember this… I don’t know who in the world is orchestrating this but… We don’t need to be cautious of those machines… or even of whoever’s controlling them… More than anything, we must be cautious of… Ourselves. Being brought to a tropical island with complete strangers, and ordered to kill each other to escape… That creates fear in our minds, and the desire to escape that hopeless fear… is our worst enemy.”</p><p>I looked around and saw the painful truth cut through them like a hot knife through butter. No matter how painful it is to accept what I said, you must accept the truth. We all have the potential to kill one another. We all have potential to die on this island. We all have potential to leave this island. I’m no exception from this rule, either. I, like anyone else on the planet, am capable of murder. I just hope that the urge to kill and leave doesn’t consume me like cancer. I just hope it doesn’t consume anyone else here. The killing school trip had begun and everyone was filled with despair.</p><p>All of us walked to the hotel to sleep and I went to a bungalow with my name on it. I slammed myself onto the bed and fell asleep. I swear I could hear Monokuma talking about… time? I didn’t care anymore. I just want to sleep in hopes I dream of something better.</p><p>There are sixteen students including me on this island… I wonder how many there will be left to escape.</p><p> </p><p>PROLOGUE END<br/>   16 REMAIN</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok, this took longer than I wanted to because i just wanted to get out of the Prologue.</p><p>However, I am still kinda chained by Chapter 1 as everything is still kinda the same. But don't worry, Byakuya will have some interesting conversations with people. </p><p>My forearm hurts like Hell!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CHAPTER 1:<br/>NO ONE ESCAPES DEATH<br/>DAILY LIFE</p><p> </p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong* “Ahem… Hope’s Peak Academy School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make… Gooooood morning, everyone! Looks like today is gonna be another perfect, tropical day! Now then, let’s show some enthusiasm and make sure to give it our all today!”</p><p>I guess that is what I was supposed to hear last night, at least, a variant on that. I was already in the Hotel when it occurred and I was just waiting for everyone else to appear. I woke up early and walked around the islands we have access to. When I got to Jabberwock Park, something was different. Instead of an empty monument, it was a big sphere with a timer and gears. I’d need to tell the others about this. The other person already here in the Hotel was Teruteru, who commented on how terrible the food was. Sure enough, everyone piled in soon after.</p><p>“Good morning, Byakuya,” said a defeated Sonia. I simply made a grunt and nodded at her words. </p><p>Everyone was still awestruck from the day before and no one talked after that. The whole room weighed on me. There were nothing but sour faces and the only sounds being made came from the ceiling fans. </p><p>To break this incredibly thick ice, I pointed out the lack of Hajime and Kazuichi in the room. “*sigh* Where are those two?” I said aloud.</p><p>“Which two?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“The only people not here, Hajime and Kazuichi.”</p><p>“Do you want me to look for them?” said Peko, out of the blue.</p><p>“Yes, I would like that very much…” said I.</p><p>Then, she left and the room continued with deafening silence. After a couple minutes, she returned with Hajime, but not Kazuichi.</p><p>“You’re late, Hajime… and where is Kazuichi? I thought you were together,” said I.</p><p>“He… ran off somewhere,” replied Hajime.</p><p>“Huh? Where?” said Akane.</p><p>“Well… he pretty much said he was… running away, but…”</p><p>“Running… but where?” said Mikan. If you let him finish, we’d know sooner.</p><p>“There’s nowhere *to* run anyway. What a weirdo,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“However, after what we witnessed yesterday, his behavior is understandable,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Eh? What do you mean? Did something happen yesterday…? I don’t remember anything happening. And even if I did, it looked totally fake anyway. Yep yep, not worth remembering at all,” said Teruteru. You have to break out of denial someday, Teruteru. This isn’t something you can just put away and pray it disappears. </p><p>“So?” said Mahiru, turning to me, “Why have you gathered us here?”</p><p>“Not yet… not until Kazuichi arrives,” said I.</p><p>“Ah, wait a sec… That means the reason you told us to come here is…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Oui!” said Ibuki, pointing finger guns at me,” “Apparently Monsieur Byakuya has something to tell us!”</p><p>“Really? What?”</p><p>“Obviously, we’re here to discuss our strategy for defeatin’ that monster!” said Akane.</p><p>“Th-There’s no way we can fight that thing… I mean… it has heavy weapons and everything!” said Mikan. </p><p>“ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH A FIGHTING SPIRIT!!!” said Nekomaru. I’m going to lose my hearing if this man continues to yell indoors.</p><p>“A bold boast… However, let me give you some advice. The truly strong...do not raise their voice so recklessly,” said Gundham. Oh, he actually spoke in a language I can understand.</p><p>“Hey, hey!” Let’s start talking already! Hmph… This is probably some lame attempt to make us feel better or something... ” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Don’t make me repeat myself… When everyone is here, then we can start talking,” said I. </p><p>“Aw, jeez! Fine! I’ll just bring Kazuichi myself, then! Everyone wait here! I’ll find him and bring him here, even if I have to tie him up!” said Mahiru shortly before going on a hunt for some Soda.</p><p>Hmm… it was quite strange how everyone just felt like talking so suddenly when Hajime entered the room. I’ll… have to keep note of this. It could mean something later to re-remembering his talent, but I can’t think of anything right now.</p><p>“Mmhmhm...I’m a little jealous now. Getting tied up by Miss Mahiru… Maybe I should run away, too… JUST KIDDING!” said Teruteru…</p><p>“Disgusting moron…” uttered Fuyuhiko. My thoughts exactly.</p><p>“Now then… let’s have breakfast while we wait for everyone. Let’s eat!” said I.</p><p>I, and everyone else, then began eating while Akane attempted to eat at my speed. She’s eating way too fast… what a pig. </p><p>“Um, where did that food come from, anyway?” said Hajime.</p><p>“When I arrived this morning, it was already here,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Ah, they even have crab and shrimp!?” said Mikan.</p><p>“Crab and shrimp are such a pain to eat. I hate them as much as I hate Mikan’s ugly, stuttering face,” said Hiyoko. She’s actually going to get killed if she doesn’t stop.</p><p>“M-My ugly. St-stuttering face…?” </p><p>“That’s it! That’s the face right there!”</p><p>“Wh-Why ...are you being so mean!?”</p><p>“Heh, heh, heh… You’re the kind of girl that bullies just *love* to torment, aren’t you?”</p><p>“You should stop now,” said Peko.</p><p>“Ah, I got it! Teruteru prepared this food, right?” said Ibuki.</p><p>Mmhmhm… Unfortunately, it wasn’t me. You see… the food I make doesn’t taste as shitty as this does,” said Teruteru. It would be nice to actually try his cooking for once.</p><p>“This is bad? Tastes yummy to me,” said Akane as she slammed another fistful of scrambled eggs into her mouth.</p><p>“*Just* yummy… right? Compared to the world class dishes I make, a dish that tastes “yummy” would still be considered shit… In fact, even comparing them is out of the question! Comparing MY dishes to this lowly peasant food, how rude!”</p><p>“H-Hey… Don’t take it so personally…” said Hajime.</p><p>“I’m just saying, if you guys ate my food, you wouldn’t be able to control yourself.”</p><p>“What does that mean…?” said Peko.</p><p>“Well, let’s just say your jaw wouldn’t be the only thing that drops! IN fact, your panties would drop, too! Like the black thong Miss Peko is wearing, for example!” I’m such a fool. I honestly thought you could have a conversation with Teruteru without him mentioning something sexual.</p><p>“You creep! How do you know about that!?” He-He guessed right!?</p><p>“However, if Teruteru did not prepare this food, then the one who did is…” said Sonia.</p><p>“Could it have been Monokuma!?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“...Is it safe to eat food cooked by something like that?”</p><p>“That’s why I’m tasting it for poison, to make sure it’s safe for consumption,” said I. When I said that, Akane stopped for a bit, looked around nervously, and then swallowed… before going right back to eating.</p><p>Mahiru then popped in, dragged Kazuichi by his sleeve. “Okay, thanks for waiting! I brought him! Hey, straighten up a little more! Shouldn’t a man like you be embarrassed to walk like that?”</p><p>“St-Stop… don’t pull… You’re gonna rip my sleeves…” said Soda.... Wimp.</p><p>“Kyahaha! Even though you look all flashy, you’re actually a big coward! Are you gonna be okaaaay? People like you are usually the first victim, you know?” said Hiyoko, cheerfully.</p><p>“I-I just wanna go home alreadyyyyyyy!”</p><p> </p><p>As he said that, a humongous crash erupted from behind me. I turned around and saw Mikan, showing all to the world, on the floor.</p><p>“Ohhh… no no no no no! I-I-I tripped!” said Mikan.</p><p>“C-Can you even call that tripping?” said Hajime.</p><p>“How in the world did you end up in such a… compromising position after tripping!?” said I.</p><p>“Well, it certainly makes me happy! I’m veeeeery happy right now!” said Teruteru. ...Shut up, Teruteru.</p><p>“Noooooooo! I’m so embarrassed! P-Please help me!” pleaded Mikan.</p><p>“Awwwwww! She looks so adorable when she’s embarrassed! It’s sooooo moe, I’m practically snorting with joy!” said Ibuki. You know what… shut up, Ibuki. You deserve it too.</p><p>“W-We should help her up!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“M-Mikan… are you okay?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Ugh… MY head is throbbing a little, but I’m okay…” said Mikan.</p><p>“She’s beyond being just a clumsy girl. That fall of hers was like a magic trick or something…” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Anyway… everyone’s here now, right? Then let’s get going… Since… I’m getting sleepy,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“You’re right… Though I am not quite ready to stop eating breakfast, I should begin my talk,” said I. This took way too long to begin. “First, I have a question for you all. That Monokuma thing ordered us to kill each other… So under these strange circumstances, what do you think we need right now?”</p><p>“Tch, who the fuck knows? Get to the point already,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“If you want me to get to the point, you better hurry up and answer my question.”</p><p>“What do we need? We need food and sleep, obviously. Right?” said Akane.</p><p>“No… you’ve forgotten about shitting… Which means the answers are: a good appetite, a good night’s sleep, and a good shit!!!” said Nekomaru…</p><p>“...Does anyone have a real answer?” said I.</p><p>“Could it be… a bond?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Bond?” replied not me, but Hajime.</p><p>“This is what I believe… As long as the Ultimates work together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish… You’ll all be able to create a hope that can overcome any despair. That’s why… if we want to escape this island, we need to promise each other that we’ll work together!” Hmph, good speech Nagito... good speech.</p><p>“Wow, he said that with a straight face! How is he not embarrassed?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Ah… just as I figured. That was kinda lame, huh?” </p><p>“However, he does have a point. That must be why Monokuma is enforcing a rule that will cause us to be suspicious of each other,” said Peko.</p><p>“I see… That was a pretty good answer. Since it’s impossible to face our enemy as individuals under these circumstances, we must fight as a group. However, what we need to achieve that solidarity is not something as easygoing and optimistic as a… “bond,” said I.</p><p>“Then… what?” said Nagito.</p><p>“What we need right now is a disciplined leadership, provided by an unmistakable leader!”</p><p>“I see… Even sports teams need captains, after all…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Rejoice. I shall accept the position,” said I.</p><p>“...Huh?” said Hajime. It’s that and “Eh?” that he loves saying.</p><p>“Now then, I’ll wrap up this introduction, and let’s move on to the main question.”</p><p>“Wait just a second!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“...What is it?”</p><p>“Wh-What did you just say…? I don’t care how you excuse it, you’re being too forceful! Deciding to be the leader all on your own… and why does it have to be you anyway!?”</p><p>“Who is more fit to lead other than me? I am the Ultimate Affluent Progeny of the Togami household, destined to stand above all others.”</p><p>“S-Seriously! I’m telling you that attitude of yours is too forceful!”</p><p>“Mahiru, please wait. It’s true that Byakuya may be a little forceful, but given our current situation… I believe it’s a leader’s duty, under circumstances like this, to be forceful to a certain degree…” said Nagito.</p><p>“That may be true, but… if we just need someone who can lead people, then even Sonia can…”</p><p>“No, perish the thought. I am merely a figurehead,” said Sonia, in a defeated tone. Kazuichi gave a gaze over to her when she said that.</p><p>“Well… he must have the qualities of a leader if he can accept the role under these circumstances,” said Nagito.</p><p>“If everyone’s okay with it… I’m okay with it too…” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Then, I guess we’ve made our decision… Don’t worry, as long as I’m the leader, I won’t let anyone become a victim. I will guide you all! That much, I promise,” said I.</p><p>“Kyaaaa! Soooo reliable!” screamed Ibuki.</p><p>“Now then, let’s move on to the topic at hand, for real this time… I have something to show you all,” said I.</p><p>“Something to show us?” said Hajime.</p><p>“It’s at Jabberwock Park at the central island… Come, follow me!” and with that, I left.</p><p>I managed to get to Jabberwock Park before Akane again and she was a little out of breath.</p><p>“Man… *huff* you got me beat 2-0 right now… I’ll win one of these days!” said Akane.</p><p>“...It is not a race. You do not need to chase after me.” said I.</p><p>“Naw… I gotta. I gotta prove I’m stronger than you!!! *puff* How the…. how the heck do you run so fast in that suit with that weight!?”</p><p>“...Ambition.”</p><p>“Oh… well, alright then.”</p><p>As Akane caught her breath, everyone slowly cropped up in the park. The last one being Hajime again.</p><p>“...For skinny people, you’re awfully slow,” said I.</p><p>“It seems… you are just too fast for us,” said Sonia.</p><p>“J-Jeez… I never expected a fatso like him to move so fast…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“So… what’s supposed to be here?” said Akane.</p><p>“Here…? Really…? Hmph… If you haven’t noticed it yet… then I was right to dismiss you all as idiots,”  said I.</p><p>Sure enough, everyone noticed the giant orb above their heads. “It looks like a clock, but… something seems off…” said Hajime. “It’s… counting down…!”</p><p>“Was this here when we came last time?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“No… I’m pretty sure it wasn’t!” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“I found it this morning… when I was exploring the island one more time. It’s unknown… when it was actually placed here…” said I.</p><p>“Monokuma must have placed this object… What does this countdown even mean?” said Peko.</p><p>“Hmm… I have no clue,” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Mmhmhm, once again, something has appeared that I don’t understand… But it’s got nothing to do with me. Because I refuse to believe this is happening,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Could it be…? It better not be a bomb!” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“A b-b-b-b-bommmmmmmb!?” said Kazuichi like he was being murdered.</p><p>“If they wanted to blow up the island, they would have done so by now. There’s no need for a countdown…” said I.</p><p>“Then… what are they counting down?” said Mikan.</p><p>“It’s a mystery…” said Akane.</p><p>“...A mysterious mystery, isn’t it!?” said Monomi… Wait, Monomi!?</p><p>“M-Monomi!?” said Hajime, echoing my thoughts.</p><p>“W-Why are you here?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“I heard everyone talking while I was patrolling, so I came over…” said Monomi.</p><p>“No, not that… Didn’t Monokuma kill you?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Ah, so that’s why you were surprised? Pfft, hehehe! You don’t have to worry about that! After all, I can never die!”</p><p>“I see… You must be an undead abomination, risen from the foulest depths of the Netherrealm by black magic… *Gasp!* Do you want me to make you my thrall!?” said Gundham.</p><p>“Monomi’s a mechanical stuffed animal, right? Doesn’t that mean she can’t die in the first place?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Now that you mention it… she’d only need, like, a spare or something,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“”A spare”... What a mean thing to say!” said Monomi.</p><p>“However, you have arrived at the perfect time. There’s something I wanted to ask you. What is the meaning behind this timer and this countdown? Answer me…” said I.</p><p>“Huh? Countdown…? Ha-wa-wa! What is this!? ...U-Um… I’m sorry… I...don’t know what this is...” </p><p>“You really don’t know…?” said Peko.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry… I don’t really have a grasp on what Monokuma is up to…”</p><p>“You don’t know, even though you’re Monokuma’s little sister,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I’m not my brother’s little sister! A-Anyway… let’s all do our best! Let’s kick the evil Monokuma off this island!”</p><p>“If you don’t know what the countdown is for, you’re useless to us. Get lost,” said I.</p><p>“Um… Let’s...together…”</p><p>“I said get lost…!”</p><p>“I-I’m sorry!” Then, Monomi left.</p><p>“Um… Perhaps you are being a little too harsh? I am starting to feel sorry for it,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Miss Sonia! May I call you Miss Sonia? No, I insist on calling you that! There’s no need to feel sorry for that thing. She’s obviously working with Monokuma,” said Kazuichi. Does… he have a crush on Sonia?</p><p>“Who the fuck cares about that stuffed animal…? More importantly, what the hell is that clock?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Looks ominous, doesn't it…?” said I. “Who put that object here, and how did they do it in just one night?”</p><p>“Hmm… I can’t imagine…” said Hajime, wondering with me.</p><p>“Which means it doesn’t make any sense! Also, it’s deadly!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“However, that’s not all that’s unimaginable… This island is full of mysteries that we can’t begin to imagine… For example… how were the sixteen of us brought to this island…?” said I.</p><p>“I wasn’t trying to think about that since it’s been bugging me too, but… he’s right. That *is* a mystery,” said Soda.</p><p>“There’s more… Why is Jabberwock Island, which was known for being a popular resort destination, now an uninhabited island? There is no sign of tourists or even citizens on this island… Is something like that even possible?”</p><p>“All civilizations are destined to collapse… Nothing begets existence… and existence begets nothing…” said Gundham, ominously. </p><p>“So it… collapsed?” said Mikan.</p><p>“Society is much like fruit. Once it matures, it is inevitable that it will eventually rot. As the economy grows, the private sector stagnates as elders and bureaucrats become more and more powerful… As time passes, this becomes the status quo, and crushes the seeds of any possible reformation… Such a sad trend,” said Sonia. Lighten up a little bit.</p><p>“Mmm, I don’t really understand all that, but I feel like the situation here is somewhat different…” said Mahiru, the only one with sense apparently.</p><p>“Maybe… the Monobeasts killed everyone on this island?” said Hiyoko. </p><p>“And that’s how it became uninhabited!?” said Nekomaru. Or, I should say screamed; he screams everything he says.</p><p>“That’s a possibility, but… we don’t know that for sure. This mystery remains a mystery, it seems,” said I.</p><p>“Grrrrrr…! It’s like everything here is just full of mysteries!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“You’re right… It’s mysteries on top of mysteries… However, since these mysteries are overlapping with one another, I doubt some no-name group is behind this…”</p><p>“Wh-What are you trying to say…?” said Hajime.</p><p>“I mean… this situation we’re in is undeniably the work of some enormous organization.”</p><p>“...Enormous organization?” said Mikan.</p><p>“Monomi, Monokuma, the Monobeasts… They’re all machines that require major technical skill to operate. Plus, they'd need a ton of funding. And there’s no way those things were made just for the hell of it…” said Kazuichi, backing me up.</p><p>“That organization might be controlling these machines and monitoring the island with those cameras…” said I.</p><p>“Could those fiends be hiding on this island?” said Peko.</p><p>“Not likely. They’re probably running this from somewhere else. Somewhere safe.”</p><p>“Where would that be…?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“I don’t know… Anyway, there’s no mistake that an enormous organization is behind all this.”</p><p>“I see, a big organization, huh… I can’t imagine what kinda people they could be…” said Akane.</p><p>“Well, let’s see… There’s my Togami Corporation… Sonia’s Novoselic Kingdom… and the Kuzuryu Clan… It would definitely have to be an organization as powerful as one of those groups, if not more so.”</p><p>“Huh!?” said Sonia, surprised.</p><p>“I’m used to being mistrusted… Do what you will…” said Fuyuhiko, showing an emotion other than anger.</p><p>“Hold on! I don’t care about you or the Kuzuryu Clan, but I won’t allow you to doubt Miss Sonia! Miss Sonia is a hot, blonde princess! There’s a sharp distinction between her and you punks!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah… Just shut up already, loser…” said Hiyoko, echoing my thoughts in a childish manner.</p><p>“L-Loser!? Are you talking about me!?” </p><p>“It’s obvious from your flashy clothes that you just wanna stand out because you’re actually a loser. Hehe… It must be hard to make your living in the Lame-Ass Loser Industry.” Aww, she’s going to get killed if she continues this.</p><p>“Too far, dude! That’s going way too far!”</p><p>“Hey, Byakuya… Were you serious now? About this being related to your family and Sonia’s and such…?” said Hajime, turning to me and gripping my attention away from the idiot bunch.</p><p>“I’m just using them as an example. I’m not saying they have anything to do with this,” said I.</p><p>“But… you’re certain that we’re up against a huge organization, right?” </p><p>“Even if such an organization exists… Why would they make us go through something like this?” said Peko.</p><p>“Whatever. How long are we gonna keep talking about this? Why don’t we talk about something more realistic?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Our enemy’s purpose is still unknown… As long as we find out who’s behind this, we’ll learn their purpose. So what we must do now is find out who our enemy is. If we do that, we’ll be that much closer to a breakthrough. Luckily, according  to the e-Handbook, we are free to explore this island… There will definitely be a clue about the enemy on this island somewhere. Let’s start looking,” said I.</p><p>“All right! Let’s get this crap done! ...Uh, what’re we looking for?” said Akane.</p><p>“...Akane, were you even listening? We need to find clues that will tell us who our enemy is,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“No problem… No matter how large this organization may be, they will not be able to stand against us… They are destined to fall and turn to ash at the might of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction!” said Gundham.</p><p>“Wow! Hamsters came out of your scarf!” said Sonia. “Tee-hee! They are so adorable!”</p><p>“Adorable… you say…? ...Th-Thank you.”</p><p>“You’re pretty happy about that, huh?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Look at that guy talking to MIss Sonia all casually… I’m definitely gonna beat the crap out of him later…” grumbled Kazuichi.</p><p>I think I have successfully heightened everyone’s spirits. Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to do. I also successfully made myself leader of the group. Not only will that make me a target, but it will also possibly make me someone to look to. As long as I’m a target, no one will get hurt. I hope that theory works out.</p><p>“...Anyway, let me just say this. There’s no time to think about something as foolish as killing each other. You must do what you have to do. Observe, speculate, recognize, comprehend. Even if it seems impossible… just persevere. But most importantly, follow my lead. I’ll make sure to return you all to your normal lives. This is your leader’s order. Understand?” said I.</p><p>“Uhaha! That’s, like, TOTALLY awesome!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“That right hand of his is soooo plump. I’ve got the perfect nickname for him: Ham Hands!” said Hiyoko. *sigh*</p><p>“H-Ham Hands… you say…?” said I. “Hmph… I never thought I’d see the day when someone called me something like that…”</p><p>“...Huh? Why aren’t you getting mad?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Why would I get mad at something as petty as that…? She observed me directly and thought up a nickname. There’s nothing dishonest about a name like that… Perhaps… I’ve always yearned for this. Though it may seem ironic for me to realize that in this particular situation…” Wait, I’m monologuing to myself. I… should stop.<br/>“Don’t worry about it. I was talking to myself just now,” said I.</p><p>“I-I see.” said Hajime.</p><p>“All right then. We should listen to Byakuya and not waste our energy thinking about pointless things!” said Nagito. “It’s true that we’re not in the best situation, but it’s also not the worst. Because we’re not alone. We have friends we can count on to support each other.”</p><p>“Seriously? That sounds so lame!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Ahaha, I knew it. I was thinking to myself just how lame I sounded for saying that.”</p><p>From there, we dispersed. Everyone had their head held high when we exited the park. I however, stayed a bit longer, eyeballing the giant bomb where the statue used to be. All but Gundham had left, and he walked up to me.</p><p>“Excuse me, Byakuya. Can you lend me some of your time?” said Gundham</p><p>“...Say it,” said I.</p><p>“My deva, Invading Black Dragon Cham-P brought a point while you were giving your inspiring speech.”</p><p> </p><p>“And that is…?”</p><p>“M-Maybe I was a little rude to you on our first meeting… and I say I am truly sorry.”</p><p>“...Apology taken. Anything else?”</p><p>“No… Wait, Jum-P has something to say to you again.” Gundham then put his hamster up to his ear and began nodding while it squeaked into it.</p><p>“Ahem… “I know not who you truly are, Byakuya, but I do not see you as evil anymore! From now, you are an acceptable leader.””</p><p>“...Should I say thanks to a… hamster?” said I.</p><p>“You need not to. Jum-P was also a bit rude upon our first meeting and specifically requested that no sorry is necessary.”</p><p>“Good… now, go find some clues.”</p><p>“Acknowledged! Nothing can hide from the Supreme Overlord of Ice!” Then Gundham left Jabberwock Park.</p><p>Well, there doesn’t appear to be anything in this park. I should return to my cabin and rest for a bit. Hmm, there is still daylight left. Maybe I should check on the rest of the group. It’ll be better talking to a bunch of… oddities than sitting in my room all day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whoops! I didn't post anything last week. </p><p>Sorry bout that, I had schoolwork, job interview, and a depressive episode. Alright, all of that is complete bullshit, I was grinding Call of Duty: Cold War until three in the morning every day until my Activision account got hacked! Did I do all of those things? Yes! Are they the reason I didn't work on this? Slightly.</p><p>Anyway, December should be eventful as school is taking a break so I should be able to work on this more often.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Walking out of my cabin, the sun hit me like a bullet. Thankfully, it only took two steps for the sun to decrease in intensity. Where to first? Better question, where is anyone? Hmm, who to look after first? I did say I was going to keep my eyes on Mikan, Peko, Hiyoko, I think, and Teruteru but I’m not sure if spending time with them is necessary. Maybe I’ll walk back to Jabberwock Park. *sigh* I have so many choices yet I feel like I only have two.</p><p>As I passed by the beach, I saw Akane and Nekomaru fighting. Wait, wait, wait… fighting!?</p><p>“What is going on here!?” said I as I entered the beach. The two stopped for a brief moment and then continued.</p><p>“...Training,” uttered Nekomaru. “Akane said she wanted to fight, so I fight her.”</p><p>“Heh, I’ll defeat you one of these days!” said Akane, landing a blow that Nekomaru easily blocked.</p><p>“Then why does it look like a fight to the death?” said I.</p><p>“...Blame Akane for that. She’s doing it a little extreme. But I can keep up,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>This appeared to anger Akane as she delivered a fast and furious set of blows, each one being blocked or deflected by Nekomaru’s arms.</p><p>“I’m gonna getcha! Your blocking is useless!” said Akane as she delivered blow after blow.</p><p>Finally, after a series of blocks, Nekomaru saw an opening and decked Akane in the mouth, sending her to the sand. Akane began to get up as Nekomaru outstretched his hand.</p><p>“My word, are you okay, Akane!?” said I, incredibly worried.</p><p>“...Heh, it’s nothing, I’ve been hurt worse… ouch…” siad Akane, fighting through the pain. It was at this point that she spat a shot of blood onto the sand. This caused Nekomaru to grimace. </p><p>“...Let’s get you to Mikan, I think I gave you a minor concussion,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Agreed,” said I as we escorted Akane off the beach and to the Hotel Complex.</p><p>I saw Mikan over by the pool and went up to her while Nekomaru rested Akane on one of the lounge chairs.</p><p>“Mikan,” said I.</p><p>“Y-Yes… w-what do you need?” stuttered Mikan.</p><p>“Akane and Nekomaru got into a fight. Nekomaru says it’s training but that isn’t important right now. What is important is a checkup on Akane as she got hit pretty bad. Nekomaru says it may be a concussion. Can you do that?”</p><p>“Yes… I can.”</p><p>Mikan then began to check Akane’s face which was cut open pretty bad. Through Mikan’s nervous speech, she managed to tell Nekomaru exactly what was wrong and what can be used to treat it. After that, Nekomaru left for the supermarket to get the needed supplies.</p><p>“I-It is indeed a minor concussion. I would highly recommend n-not doing anything… extreme for the next forty-eight hours,” said Mikan.</p><p>“Aww, c’mon. I can fight through a headache,” groaned Akane.</p><p>“No. You can’t. What you need to do is to do exactly what Mikan said and let the concussion subside,” said I, sternly to an unhappy Akane.</p><p>“Ugh… alright.”</p><p>Nekomaru then returned with cold compress packs, over the counter medicine, and a protein shake. He handed the compress and shake to Akane which she promptly took.</p><p>“U-Umm… this lounge chair is perfect for a concussion. Are you okay sitting there?” said Mikan.</p><p>“You know what… yeah!” said Akane, lying back in the chair and stretching her legs.</p><p>Nekomaru motioned us away from Akane and said, “Alright Doc, what’s the damage?” </p><p>“She has a minor concussion and is experiencing a migraine. Other than the cuts and bruises on her face, she should be f-fine,” said Mikan.</p><p>“And if the pain continues longer than expected?” said I.</p><p>“S-She should be able to counter it with the acetaminophen you have.”</p><p>“That’s not a good idea. Knowing Akane, she’d just say she’s fine and get hurt again,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Hmph, you’ve met her for not even a week and you already know what she’d do?” said I.</p><p>“You tend to know a lot about someone when you fight them. Heh, there’s even a chance your friendship will strengthen!”<br/>“That works?”</p><p>“Yeah, it totally does, I’ve seen it happen to both me and other people! There was once these two kids in my junior high that fought each other. One of them was a skinny kid and the other was a fat guy. Skinny kid pushed the guy down to the ground and every time he tried to get up, he’d push him back down again!” </p><p>“How long did this go on for?”</p><p>“Oh, about thirty minutes. At that point, everyone got bored and left so no one saw the ending. Everyone kinda wished they did because those two were the bestest of friends for the rest of junior high.”</p><p>“That… is an interesting story. I thought for sure that the fat man was going to win.”</p><p>“Oh, fat guy never stood a chance. The other guy may have been skinny, but he had some muscles on him. Anyway, I’m gonna go check on Akane some more.”</p><p>“S-Should I come too. I don’t have to if you don’t want to,” said Mikan, quietly.</p><p>“HA, come on Mikan, you’re welcome here!”</p><p>“Th-Thank you…” She then gave a very weak, but very happy smile.</p><p>I spent some more time listening to Nekomaru’s stories before leaving the three. Well, I guess I did do what I said to myself what I was going to do. I did check on Mikan while checking on someone else.</p><p>Wait a second, me escorting a student to Mikan feels… familiar. Why does it feel familiar, like something I used to know? I swear I’ve done this before, I just can’t remember where and when. I’ll chalk it up to deja vu for now.</p><p>It was still daylight out, so I exited and smelled food cooking. It was coming from the Hotel and it’s probably Teruteru. Well, I am hungry right now, so, might as well investigate it. Using the concrete staircase up to the restaurant, the smell got stronger.</p><p>“Teruteru, is that you?” said I, entering the kitchen. </p><p>“Oh? Yeah, it’s me!” said Teruteru, turning away from a meat stew. “Ah, so what would the fine progeny want from little ol’ me?”</p><p>“I smelled food, so I had to make sure nothing was burning.”</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry, the only thing I ever burned was a cake after I accidentally cranked the timer on the oven up too much. It was an instant smokescreen but still, the burned cake wasn’t half bad.”</p><p>“In addition to burning, I was also wondering if I could try some of your cooking.”<br/>“Ah, I get it. That’s your true reason for coming here, huh?”</p><p>“Hmph… guilty as charged.”</p><p>“Hahaha, here’s a bowl!” Teruteru then ladled a splash of stew into a bowl and handed it to me.</p><p>The taste was phenomenal. Even if Teruteru may sexually harass someone on this island, his Ultimate title certainly lives up to its name.</p><p>“This is… stupendous, Teruteru.”</p><p>“An apt title if I do say so myself! After tasting that shit from this morning, I want to be able to cook breakfast for everyone everyday.”</p><p>“I see… so this is basically preparations for the following morning?”</p><p>“Exactly!”</p><p>“Don’t you have to run this by that bear, Monokuma?”</p><p>“Ah, what bear? I still refuse to believe anything in the last few days.”</p><p>“Oh, come on! You have to believe in me sometime!” said Monokuma, jumping out from inside a cabinet in the kitchen.</p><p>“AAAAHHH!!!” screamed Teruteru.</p><p>“Nice scream! And by the way, I’m perfectly okay with you cooking breakfast everyday until you die!”</p><p>“Heh, I highly doubt that I’ll die from cooking too much…”</p><p>“Oh shuddup, Teruteru. You know exactly what I meant by that. So please, stop kidding yourself and come to terms with your situation!”</p><p> </p><p>Teruteru nervously continued cooking.</p><p>“Toodles!” Then Monokuma left through the door into the restaurant.</p><p>“Well, I guess you can cook everyday,” said I.</p><p>“G-Good… Perfect!” said Teruteru in a very shaky voice.</p><p>As I exited the restaurant, I noticed it was dusk outside. It was probably best to return to my room. After a little while, I heard the announcement.</p><p>*Ding dong dong ding*</p><p>“Ahem! Hope’s Peak Academy’s School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make… Hello everyone! The fun time you’ve all been waiting for is about to begin! I wonder what festivities await you? ...Oops, don’t wanna ruin the surprise! It was a little “meh” at first, but anyway, please gather at Jabberwock Park!”</p><p>I have zero clue as to why on Earth he wants us to go to the Park in the middle of the night. But, it’s not like I have a choice. Sure enough, I was the first one there and Akane was second, claiming she speedwalked her way here instead of ran. There was a stage set up in front of the bomb and also, Hajime was last to arrive… again.</p><p>“Once again, you’re late… Did you lose your nerve? ...Anyway, it seems everyone is here,” said I.</p><p>“Ugh, what is it this time…? So friggin’ annoying…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Then you shouldn’t have come,” snarked Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Well… I mean… I don’t know what’ll happen to me if I don’t come…”</p><p>“Heh, since none of us know what’ll happen, maybe you should be the one to test that out.”</p><p>“Hey! You may talk like you’re tough, wiseguy, but you wouldn’t be here unless you were scared, too!” said Mahiru. You got him there, Mahiru. I applaud you for that.</p><p>“...What!?”</p><p>“I guess even a big bad yakuza like you must’ve been scared of that monster, huh?”</p><p>“What the fuck did you just say!?”</p><p>“S-Stop it, you two. Fighting among friends isn’t good!” said Nagito, butting in between them.</p><p>“What? Did you just say, “friend”? I’m not your friend, dumbass! When did I ever become friends with you bastards?”</p><p>“...Eh?” said Hajime. Ladies and gentlemen, he said the line.</p><p>“Hmph, let me be perfectly clear… I can do it, y’know.”</p><p>“...Huh?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Y-You… What did you just say…?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Oh? You didn’t hear me? Then I’ll repeat myself just once for you. I said… I can do it,” said Fuyuhiko. He’s not going to do it. I won’t let him.</p><p>“Hey, Fuyuhiko… why don’t you calm down for a bit?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Don’t talk to me like we’re friends or something! I live in a completely different world than you bastards… Kill or be killed… That’s the kind of world I live in. Heh, the current rules make more sense than that “Play nice and get along” crap.”</p><p>“If you don’t stop it right now… I’m going to get seriously angry!” screamed Mahiru.</p><p>“Don’t treat me like a kid, bitch!”</p><p>“Just stop already… This kind of fighting will not get us anywhere,” said Peko, calmly.</p><p>“Shut the hell up! There’s no way I’m dealing with this Kumbaya crap! If any of you guys wanna die, step forward… I’ll fuckin’ kill you right now…”</p><p>“Sounds fun… Gimme your best shot…!” said Akane.</p><p>“Wh-What’s gonna happen if you’re this easily provoked!?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Enough!” said I, loud enough to rise above the rest.</p><p>“...Huh?” came from Fuyuhiko’s mouth.</p><p>“Fuyuhiko… I understand what you’re saying. I do not intend to dismiss your feelings. There was a time when I also thought the same way as you…”</p><p>“...Are you treating me like a kid, too!?”</p><p>“But what would reckless killing accomplish? If you fail to get away with it, you know you’ll be executed… Or perhaps… that’s what you really want? If so… You’d only be killing yourself to run away from this predicament. That’s what a child would do.”</p><p>“Wh-What did you say…!?”</p><p>“Listen! So long as we’re here, I will not let any of you die! I will not let any of you become a victim! And that goes for you too, Fuyuhiko. I won’t let you die!”</p><p>“Wh-What the hell…? Everything you’re saying… it’s just empty promises!”</p><p>“It’s true my words would ring hollow if anyone else spoke them… But I am Byakuya Togami, and I am destined to bring these promises to fruition.” </p><p>It is true that I may fail in protecting everyone as there is a chance I am not targeted. I am simply making every gun point at me so if someone does get an evil thought, I am the one they hurt, not anyone else.</p><p>“Yowza! He’s sooooo cool!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Mmhmhm, I agree!” said Teruteru…</p><p>“Heh… I don’t care what you say. I’m just gonna do whatever I feel like…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Do what you will. However, remember what I said earlier. “I will not let any of you become a victim.” That is the duty I have appointed to myself.”</p><p>“Tch…!” It appears I resolved it… for now. Then Monokuma showed up in a suit.</p><p>“Um…” said Monokuma. “It looked like you guys were arguing… so I wasn’t sure when to actually show up… It looks like I showed up at an awkward time!”</p><p>“Why… are you dressed like that?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Oh, didn’t I mention it in my recent broadcast? It’s my costume for the fun time!”</p><p>“Oh, don’t tell me you’re going to…” said Peko.</p><p>“That’s right! Since we’re on a tropical island, I’m here to do my two-man comedy routine!”</p><p>“Wh-Why does it matter that we’re on a tropical island? said Mikan.</p><p>“But can you do a two-man comedy routine all by yourself?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Of course not,” responded Monokuma. “That’s why I brought my partner.” </p><p>All of a sudden, Monomi appeared from behind the stage in a dress and said, “Ha-wa-wa! What is this!?”</p><p>“Hmm, that figures…” said Nekomaru. I guess he thought correctly that Monomi was the second man in the comedy routine.</p><p>“Now then, without further ado, I’m pleased to present “Monokuma’s Side-Splitting Live Two-Man Comedy Show”!” proclaimed Monokuma.</p><p>“Huh? I didn’t hear anything about this! Are you telling me I have to improvise!?” said Monomi.</p><p>“...I’m speechless,” said Gundham. Nice to know I’m not the only one who’s tired of this.</p><p>The two then got up on stage and turned on the lights. After tapping the mic twice, Monokuma began to speak.</p><p>“Hellooooooooooooo, I’m Monokuma!”</p><p>“Um… I’m Monomi…” I hate this already. I’d much rather be sleeping right now.</p><p>“And together we are The Monokumas!” said them both in unison.</p><p>“Now, I know it’s sudden, but I guess I should show you guys my amazing mind reading abilities!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Eh? You can read minds!?”</p><p>“As practice, I’ll guess your favorite food. Hmmm… Your favorite food is…”</p><p>“You can do it! It’s obvious what rabbits like!”</p><p>“Ca…”</p><p>“That’s right.”</p><p>“...davers!”</p><p>“I’d never eat a dead body!”</p><p>“Now then… Monomi’s up next! C’mon, do a short skit or something!” That won’t be hard, she’s already a walking joke.</p><p>“Wh-What!? There’s no way I can do that!”</p><p>“No worries, it’s all good. I know a technique to summon the God of Comedy. Sooooo… which do you think is better? Taking blood while you’re still alive, or after you’re already dead?”</p><p>“Why would you ask such a cruel question!?”</p><p>“If I’m gonna summon the Comedeity, then I’ll need a lot of blood.”<br/>“So a god of comedy wants blood…”</p><p>“Hngh! Pretty please!?”</p><p>“No matter how charmingly you ask, there’s no way I’ll let you take my blood!”</p><p>“You’re always so quick to make a scary face, Monomi. You guys better be careful, too. Ya know, since Monomi’s actually a bad guy. She’s as bad as the first villain the hero fights in a teen manga!” Oh, so that’s why we’re here. I hate both of the stuffed animals on this island.</p><p>“They’re always the underdog!”</p><p>“Believe me, it’s a fact that Monomi’s a villain. I’ll let you all in on a little secret of hers… Monomi… went out of her way to erase your memories!” ...What?</p><p>“Say what!? ...Wait, huh?”</p><p>“You guys don’t even remember how you got to this island, am I right? Well, that’s because Monomi stole your memories!”</p><p>“Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden!?”</p><p>“But wait, there’s more! She didn’t just steal your boring memories, like how you guys got to this island. She completely took away your memories of the years you spent at Hope’s Peak Academy! What a shocker! Phew… I feel great now that I’ve shared that with you. Seriously, memory loss plots are so old hat nowadays… Only a total hack would wait until the end of the story to reveal a cliched twist like that!”</p><p>“P-Please stop!”</p><p>“Puhuhu… Wasn’t that a huge surprise? In truth, you guys aren’t freshmen students at all. You guys just thought you were because you’ve lost all of your memories! Quick someone get a plagiarist because I feel like I’ve heard this story before!”</p><p>“S-Seriously, this is bad in so many ways!”</p><p>“I’m through dealing with you!” said Monokuma as he punched Monomi.</p><p>“GYAAAAAAH! His backhand is far too powerful!”</p><p>There was a silence across everyone’s faces. No one could talk, no one wanted to break the ice of despair that just froze over.</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>… </p><p>“...Eh?” said Hajime. Well now, what wonderful, uplifting words to share with the class, Hajime Hinata.</p><p>“...Wh-What did he mean?” said Nagito.</p><p>“How was it? Was it funny? Or was the comedy too high-brow for you?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Hey… What were you saying just now?” said I.</p><p>“What was I saying just now… Oh, you mean when I said that your school memories were completely stolen?”</p><p>“Aha… hahaha… There’s no way… Cause I just entered Hope’s Peak Academy, and then I was brought to this island… right away...” chuckled Ibuki, nervously.</p><p>“That’s because that’s how you remember it. All thanks to Monomi stealing your school memories... “</p><p>“Wh-What are you saying!? That’s impossible!” screamed Hajime.</p><p>“Man… how many years has it been since you guys first entered Hope’s Peak Academy…? I wonder what happened to your friends and family? They’re probably worried sick about you… Maybe?”</p><p>“Our school memories were stolen!? That’s ridiculous!” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“That’s right! There’s no way I have memory loss!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“D-Don’t… don’t listen to what he says…” said Monomi.</p><p>“Blub-blub-blub-blub… Limit breached…” said Ibuki, foaming at the mouth.</p><p>“I refuse to believe such a thing. Yep, everything’s okay… I don;t believe it…” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Y-You’re lying, right…? Stealing our memories… that’s a lie, right? You’re just trying to make fools out of us, right?” said Mikan.</p><p>“Nope, it’s not a lie. If it was a lie… then how do you explain this? The moment you arrived at Hope’s Peak Academy, you all experienced a strange dizziness…” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Wha… H-How do you know that?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Puhuhu… Why, that was the cut-off point. Your memories beyond that point have been completely removed.”</p><p>“Wh-What the hell…!?”</p><p>“So… a long time has passed… since then…?” said Mikan.</p><p>“I-Impossible! There’s no way!” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“On the contrary… why is it impossible?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Whether or not it’s possible… there’s no way we can believe it,” said Nagito.</p><p>“You just don’t want to believe it, right? But don’t worry… I’m a generous guy! I can give you back your memories!”</p><p>“...Huh!?” said Monomi.</p><p>“However… there’s a catch.”</p><p>“Don’t tell me what the catch is…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Puhuhu… figured it out yet? That’s right, you guys have to kill each other! That’s my bargaining point! You guys wanna know, right? You want your school memories returned to you, right? Then you better start killing! A penny for your thoughts, and a murder for your memories!”</p><p>“Hey… Stop runnin’ your mouth,” said Akane.</p><p>“My, my… why so angry? I’m just providing you all a motive from the bottom of my big, generous heart! Otherwise, you cowards wouldn’t get any killing done! Well, that’s not your fault. Humans are natural born cowards. They even cry after their mom squeezes ‘em out. That’s why I’m giving you a motive. Think of it as an excuse to commit your future crimes.”</p><p>“S-Stop this at once…!” said I. “Do you really think your delusional rambling will convince us to commit murder…?</p><p>“I don’t even believe that memory loss crap in the first place!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“But more than that, what  you guys really don’t believe is each other, right?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Wh-What do you mean…!?”</p><p>“You guys don’t know each other. Which means… None of you realize that a traitor is hiding among you, right?”</p><p>That stabbed me like a meat skewer. I refuse to believe that someone here is a traitor. It’s gotta be a motive for murder, right?</p><p>“Huh?” said Hajime… again.</p><p>“Hey, why are there sixteen of you? If a total of fifteen students from Hope’s Peak Academy were arranged to come to this island… That’s right! There’s probably a traitor I don’t even know about hiding among the group! ...Just kidding.”</p><p>I knew it, he was lying. I really should take everything he says with a grain of salt but, what if he is telling the truth? Bravo, Monokuma, you expertly planted doubt among us.</p><p>“Wh-What are you saying… All this shit about traitors doesn’t make any sense!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“...It’s obviously nonsense,” said Peko.</p><p>“For real, you guys… How can you be so sure? You guys don’t know anything about each other. You don’t know each other’s true natures. That’s why, if one of you is planning to kill someone, it’s impossible for any of you to know,” said Monokuma.</p><p>Everyone was silent now. No one spoke up… no one could refute. I saw Hajime and Nagito looking around desperately hoping someone would say something, to no avail. Everyone stood there with a thousand-yard stare.</p><p>“Even so…” Monokuma continued, “if there really is a traitor, isn’t that gosh darn awful? Pretending to be your ally and tricking you guys… It makes sense for someone like that to get killed, right? C’mon, make the preemptive strike! It’s first come, first served and the winner takes all! If you want to survive, you gotta find that person before they find you… Aaaaahahahahaha!” Then he left us in silence.</p><p>A new sheet of ice covered all of us as we stood there, motionless. I have to thank Mikan for breaking it with, “Is it true…? Is there really a traitor among us…? Ah! It’s not me by the way! I know I may look suspicious but… it’s not me!”</p><p>“Who is it!? Hurry up and show yourself! You’re only making things worse for you by staying silent!” screamed Nekomaru.</p><p>“...Just stop. There’s no way there’s a traitor,” said I. “There’s no way… It’s pointless to even discuss something so foolish.” I have to make sure everyone has no doubts.</p><p>“Th-That’s right… I don’t believe it… Because there’s no way I can believe it… There’s no reason in the first place to believe it…” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Monomi… you would know,” said Peko.</p><p>“...Huh!?” said Monomi. I kinda forgot she was here.</p><p>“Is what Monokuma said true? About our memory loss… and about the traitor…?”</p><p>“Um… I mean… Everyone needs to look to the future… That’s why… you shouldn’t look back to the past… Keep your eyes fixed upon the future. L-Let’s do our very best!” She said that, then sprinted away.</p><p>“Ah, she ran away!” said Akane, stating the obvious.</p><p>“Hmph, how ridiculous…” said Fuyuhiko. “Memory loss… a traitor… it’s completely fictional… I can’t deal with this bullshit, dumbass!”</p><p>As much as I wish it were fictitious, this is reality. I could only wish the events taking place on this island were from some tortured soul’s mind writing down his thoughts in the dead of the night. People tend to read murder mysteries but let me tell you this, it is not fun to be in one.</p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong*</p><p>There’s the announcement and sure enough, it was 10 p.m. and we had to go to bed. I’ll spare you the details on what he said specifically, but I have a feeling he’ll keep repeating it everyday.</p><p>“...Hey, what should we do?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“It’s better if we call it a night here. We should get some sleep… and try to keep our minds calm,” said I.</p><p>“...I guess… you’re right.”</p><p>“Just so you all know… Do not think about unnecessary things. This is your leader’s order. Tomorrow morning… let’s meet at the restaurant after Monokuma’s morning announcement.”</p><p>“How troubling… I think the saying goes, “I am frightened so stiff…”” said Sonia.<br/>“...I feel pretty stiff right now, too.” Shut up, Teruteru.</p><p>“That’s… not how that saying goes… B-But it’s not her fault! She’s a foreigner after all…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>Everyone then left for the cottages. I don’t believe that there’s actually a traitor among us… but the memories are a strange oddity. Why our school ones in particular? It… must be for the greater good, right? There has to be a reason our school ones were taken away and only those ones.</p><p>You know what, I have to stop thinking about that. I need something to take my mind off it, something for everyone to take their mind off it.</p><p>I got it!</p><p> </p><p>I think a party may be a good idea.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not gonna lie, it's actually pretty fun writing free time events. I physically can't wait until I'm out of daily life so I can get on with the story. Plus, I have to copy the game lines directly for accuracy so when I get to the murder, I can do what I want.</p><p>Maybe something strange will happen in the next chapter...</p><p>maybe not</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I wish that when I arose, I didn’t find a note under my door. I was planning to have a party to take our minds off things for a while, but I never expected a note with this in it.</p><p>“Someone will die tonight” was written in the note and I had no idea who wrote it. But I know I mustn't let someone die tonight. I still have to trust everyone even if one of them delivered this devilish note. I will keep this in my mind, but I won’t let it make me distrust everyone.</p><p>After I fully got up, I walked to the Restaurant to find Teruteuru setting up some dishes. It took him a couple minutes to notice me and gave a friendly wave.</p><p>“Well, hey, Byakuya. You an early riser too?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Indeed. Although, the others should be waking up soon. That announcement is sure to sound,” said I.</p><p>“What, you got a hot date with any of ‘em?”</p><p>“No, just something to tell everybody.”</p><p>“And I don’t suppose you’ll share it with lil’ ol me?”</p><p>“...I won’t share it with you until everyone is here.”</p><p>On cue, the announcement was made and now everyone was up… it is hard to sleep through Monokuma’s voice. I stepped out for a bit and saw some people enter the Hotel. After about two entered, I retreated back inside and awaited everyone else’s arrival.</p><p>When the room filled with people, I cleared my throat.</p><p>“...Is everyone here?”</p><p>“...Huh? It seems Fuyuhiko is not here yet,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Hehe, maybe he already got killed…” said Hiyoko. Not funny.</p><p>“Gyaaah! Dead bodies already!?” shouted Ibuki. There are about three people on this island with at least a half a brain and I’m one of them. These people make me sad.</p><p>“Don’t go killing people off… I saw him outside earlier. However, he told me he would not be joining us this morning,” said Peko.</p><p>“Why does he have to act like a lone wolf at a time like this…?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“C-Could he… Is he thinking up a plan to kill someone by himself…?” said Soda.</p><p>“Kazuichi! You should not doubt your friend!” said Sonia, angrily.</p><p>“Well, he’s a yakuza, isn’t he? Do you understand what that means? He’s part of the Japanese mafia!”</p><p>“I presume he’s the kind of person who would not come even if we summoned him…” said I. I’ve had enough of him so far. “I guess it can’t be helped… We should just talk among ourselves. Someone can fill him in later.”</p><p>“Talk…? What are we going to talk about?” said Hajime. </p><p>“Rejoice… I have decided to throw a party tonight.”</p><p>“A p-party…?” said Mikan.</p><p>“That’s right. A huge party that will last from sundown to sunrise.”</p><p>“Party till the sun comes up!?” shouted Ibuki.</p><p>“Just so we’re clear, I will not allow any absences. Your attendance at this party is absolutely mandatory.”</p><p>“H-Hey… Now’s not the time to talk about stuff… like partying!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“On the contrary… there is no better time than this…”</p><p>“But still… we really shouldn’t be partying…” said Mahiru.</p><p>“...Um, hold on. I agree with Byakuya… It doesn’t do us any good to stay bummed out like this… In fact, because of the situation we’re in, it’s probably best if we all strengthen our friendships with one another. That’s what you thought too, right? That’s why you want to throw a party,” said Nagito.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter why I’m doing it… Anyway… it is of vital importance that we all stay in one place tonight,” said I.</p><p>“...You say that with such significance,” said Gundham.</p><p>“It’s decided! We’re having ourselves a party!”</p><p>“E-Even so… I’m not sure it needs to last all night…” said Mikan.</p><p>“...If I thought that, I would have made that clear from the beginning.”</p><p>“I-I-I’m terribly sorry! I’m so, so sorry for trying to meddle with your plan!”</p><p>“It’s important to be flexible in situations like this… Perhaps a diversion from all this is just what we need,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“...Then let’s party hard!” said Akane.</p><p>“Ah, in that case, I’ll put my amazing cooking skills on display for you guys,” said Teruteuru.</p><p>“Where is the party going to be held? Would this restaurant be okay?” said Ckiaki.</p><p>“No, this won’t do…” said I.</p><p>All this time and I never thought about location. Hmm, I have two possible tactics: enclosed space or open area.<br/>Should we hide from Monokuma, or give ourselves no cover to do anything mischievous?</p><p>What am I saying, that bear is omnipotent. You can’t hide from him, can you? *sigh* Open it is.</p><p>“We need a location that’s… open.” I said, continuing. “A place that we can freely move around in. What we need is an open area.”</p><p>“...An open area?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“If the restaurant won’t do, then maybe the area around the pool is available,” said Gundham.</p><p>“I don’t think so, Gundham. The cottages near the pool make it less open and the pool takes up a majority of the area, so we would have little walking room,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Unless you want to have a pool party. I love looking at women in bikinis!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“I can’t believe how comfortable you are with saying your perverted thoughts out loud…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Mmhmhm, I may be a pervert, but I’m the kind of pervert everybody likes!” No they aren’t.</p><p>“Your confidence is seriously impressive…”</p><p>“Then… how about the beach?” said Nagito.</p><p>“...The beach?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Yeah, the beach! I think we can have a good party there. Plus, it’s basically the only place that meets our needs for an open area. Unless you really want to party next to the bomb in Jabberwock Park.”</p><p>“F-Fair point” stumbled Kazuichi, “You know, I’m all for the beach knowing that that’s the other option.”</p><p>“...Ditto,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Um… So we’re all good with the beach? Then what about preparations? The beach doesn’t come with its own tables and kitchen,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“I’m sure we can find some foldable tables in the Supermarket along with anything else we need,” said I.</p><p>“Alright… then who’s setting all this stuff up?” said Hajime.</p><p>“To be honest, I already prepared a drawing because I assumed something like this would happen,” said Nagito, taking a bunch of chopsticks out of his pocket. “Whoever draws the chopstick with the red mark on it will be in charge of getting the supplies from the market, okay?”</p><p>“There’s no need. I can simply acquire the resources of Nekomaru and Akane for heavy lifting and I will be shopping along with them,” said I.</p><p>“Then what about a second, “normal” shopper who isn’t lifting tables?”</p><p>“*sigh* If it makes you feel any better, fine. I guess everyone takes out a stick and sees who shops with me.”</p><p>“Well then, let us entrust our destinies to the whims of this drawing!” yelled Gundham.</p><p>“Well, it’s not the worst outcome if I get the red mark,” said Mahiru.</p><p>Everyone then took out a chopstick except for Akane, Nekomaru, and I. And when it was done…</p><p>“Alright, who has the red mark?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Wow! It is me!” said Sonia. “I’ve never shopped in a Supermarket before!”</p><p>“D-Do you need someone to show you the ropes, Miss Sonia?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“That isn’t required,” said I.</p><p>Kazuichi then mumbled something under his breath.</p><p>“I’ll handle the cooking. I hope there’s a grill in there! First, I’ll go to the beach, get a feel for it, and select what I’ll make tonight. I, Teruteru Hanamura will go all out! I will prepare the world’s tastiest dishes for you all!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Then I just need to pass along the party details to Fuyuhiko,” said Peko.</p><p>“Let’s go about our business then. After Monokuma’s nightly announcement, we’ll meet at the beach. Nekomaru, Akane, and Sonia, you’re with me,” said I.</p><p>And then everyone left the Restaurant and my caravan of four headed to the Supermarket to find some party supplies.</p><p> </p><p>We arrived at the Supermarket and Nekomaru spoke to me.</p><p>“Alright, priority number one is tables, right? What about trash cans and a grill for Teruteru?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Hmm, I guess there needs to be multiple trips, unless you can carry all of that in one,” said I.</p><p>“DEAL!!” shouted Akane and she quickly ran to the back of the market and came back to the door with a table, two garbage bins, and a single chair being held in her mouth.</p><p>“Oaaaattaa waaahy” she said, continuing past us and out the door.</p><p>“I guess I’ll get chairs and another table,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“I guess you shall. Also, you may want to check in with Teruteru. He may want you to lift a specific grill to the beach,” said I.</p><p>“Got it!” and then he walked to the back of the market.</p><p>“Sonia, you’re with me. Come, quickly.”</p><p>“Yes! So, what exactly do these preparations consist of?” questioned Sonia.</p><p>“Well, Teruteru has the bulk of the meal prepared, so what we should get is cups, plates, utensils, napkins and maybe a cooler.”</p><p>“Won’t it be cumbersome to carry around fine China and glasses?”<br/>“No, no, not those types of supplies. It’s a beach party, it’s only one step above a frat house party in terms of formality.”</p><p>“Oh, wow! I’ve never had an informal party before. So, what types of supplies are needed?”</p><p>“All of it should be plastic and paper. Things that are… easily disposable.”</p><p>“I’ve never eaten on “disposable” plates. Do you just throw them out after you are done eating off it?”</p><p>“Yes… I know you’re the Ultimate Princess and all, but have you ever been outside your castle and experienced a little of the lives of your loyal subjects?”</p><p>“Sadly not. A lot of things are fairly new to me such as an informal party. Even friends are a bit of a new thing.” Dang, even if she is royalty, that’s no way to live.</p><p>“You’ve never had a friend before…?”</p><p>“There was never one of my age and status.”</p><p>“Well, I hope that changes tonight…”</p><p>“I do as well! I am most interested in becoming friends with Gundham!”</p><p>“Befriend him and you’ll probably befriend his hamsters. I guess you’ll make five friends tonight.”</p><p>“...Yeah! I guess so.”</p><p>After we successfully found the supplies, Teruteru and Nekomaru reentered the market.</p><p>“Teruteru… I hope you’ve picked out your dinner for tonight,” said I.</p><p>“Indeed I have! After getting a good feel for the beach, I plan on making shish kebabs and burgers with a side of coleslaw. *Gasp* I should make some churrasco!” said an excited Teruteru.</p><p>“...And yes,” said Nekomaru, interrupting him, “you were right, Byakuya. He did want to pick out the grill himself.”</p><p>“Just as I expected. Do we have to go find the supplies?” said I.</p><p>“No need, I’ll get ‘em myself,” said Teruteru. “I’ll pick out the drinks, the ingredients, and all the things in between!”</p><p>“What about a cooler?”</p><p>“Ah, yes. I’ll need two; one for the party, and one for back-up in the kitchen.”</p><p>“...Make sure you get ginger ale.”</p><p>“A-Alright…? Oh, and one last thing, tiki torches for light?”</p><p>“...Whatever.”</p><p>Then me and Sonia, carrying plastic bags of goodies, left the Supermarket and proceeded to the beach. When we got there, Akane was stretching on the beach and the tables were set and the folding chairs were off to the side. I had a feeling this would be a standing party anyway.</p><p>Sonia and I put the supplies on the table and I dismissed her. As I began to set up, Nagito came up behind me.</p><p>“Hey, Byakuya. Can I tell you something?” said Nagito.</p><p>“What is it?” said I.</p><p>“When I was here with Hajime when we first got here, I thought I saw a path leading into the foliage.”</p><p>“...And?”</p><p>“Well, I followed it just now and found it led to two changing rooms.”</p><p>“People may want to change for the water, so I guess that is reasonable to find. Is it in good condition?”</p><p>“It was, but there were a couple weeds sprouting from the path so I cleared it.” He then showed me some dirty hands. “Just my luck I’d stumble across something like this.”</p><p> </p><p>“It… was good luck, I suppose. I will inspect it later.”</p><p>“Oh… okay.” He seemed surprised by that answer. Was he planning on… doing something?</p><p>Anyway, Nagito then left the beach and I finished setting up, so time to inspect those changing rooms. Sure enough, it was a little hidden. No matter, a simple torch and a sign and all is well. The changing rooms themselves were wooden and had a stool and clothing hook inside. Other than that, nothing was out of the ordinary. However, I did see a very small path that broke the foliage leading out. Following it led me back to the main road.</p><p>“Interesting…” I said to myself. I returned to the beach and awaited nightfall.<br/>Akane was still on the beach and she kept fiddling with her shoe. I guess she has a rock in it or something. At dusk, Teruteru showed up with two coolers labeled “DRINKS” and “UNCOOKED FOOD DO NOT EAT! THIS MEANS YOU, AKANE!” Akane dashed to Teruteru and started opening the meat cooler and was quickly slapped by him. He then pointed to the label and Akane said “Ohhhhhh!” loud enough for me to hear from across the beach. Teruteru additionally had some chips on top of the cooler that he was guarding from the mad dog that is Akane.</p><p>I thought about patting them down to make sure that both of them weren’t carrying weapons, but my conscience said otherwise. I mean, this is an open area, it would be incredibly hard to commit a murder that no one would see. I’ll… let this slip by just this once. I am, after all, trying to put this murder business behind me and behind us. I have to have a little more faith in them.</p><p>Nekomaru was the first to show up along with Chiaki. Chiaki was in her normal clothes while Nekomaru had his bathing suit on. </p><p>“You do know that swimming at night is dangerous, right?” I told him.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I know that. I’m only in this in case anyone else wants to swim.” he replied. “I’m a certified lifeguard and I’ll make sure no one drowns.”</p><p>“Hmph… good. Carry on.”</p><p>I saw Chiaki go and take a chair and sit down. She then pulled out a gaming system and began playing. I guess parties aren’t for everyone, but I’m thankful she arrived.</p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong*</p><p>There’s the announcement, everyone should be pouring in soon. The announcement seems to actually be automated or at the very least, Monokuma didn’t know about this party. He said “sweet dreams” in it even though no one besides maybe Fuyuhiko is going to bed.</p><p>I greeted Chiaki and had a one sided conversation before taking up post at the entrance to the beach and greeted guests as they arrived. Some of them were in their bathing suit while others weren’t, but definitely over half were in bathing suits. Finally, it was Hajime who was the last to arrive and in a bathing suit no less.</p><p>“What is it with you and being late? You’re the last to everything.” said I.</p><p>“I-I dunno. Everyone’s faster than me I guess.” said Hajime.</p><p>“*sigh* Anyway, enjoy the party.”</p><p>“Okay, thanks for throwing one.”</p><p>Now that everyone is here, I can start monitoring. Well, Fuyuhiko wasn’t here, but we can do with only one missing I guess. Smoke was in the air as Teruteru was cooking up burgers, peppers, and shrimp and people are already eating them and having a good time. Ibuki even brought a boombox and began playing music, drowning out the conversations. I noticed the meat skewers were metal and my mind was alerted. They could very easily be used as a weapon but- no! I am trying to put this behind me. I… have to let it go.</p><p>Now it was beginning to become a real party. Peko and Nagito were swimming, Chiaki was gaming, Fuyuhiko was missing, and everyone else was either eating, talking to people, or both. I even saw Gundham feed one of his “Dark Devas” that he calls hamsters a piece of a pepper. Sure enough, it ate the whole thing and amazed Sonia while it sent Kazuichi into a state of jealousy. I walked over to Teruteru to check up on him and get some food.</p><p>“Do these arrangements appease our chef?” said I.</p><p>“I wish it was a little more… formal, but this is doing just fine. I haven’t grilled on charcoal in a while and the beach is a perfect setting for this!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“So, they are… adequate?”</p><p>“I’m letting people enjoy my food who have never tried it before, it is more than adequate! It’s exceptional!”</p><p>“...Good.”</p><p>Just then, Hiyoko came along.</p><p>“Augh, my tummy hurts!” said Hiyoko, holding her stomach. “I ate too much…”</p><p>“Go get some ginger ale,” said I.</p><p>“What’s that gonna do?! It’s just gonna make my tummy even more rumbly, idiot!”</p><p>“...Just shut up and try it. You don’t seem to have any other options now, do you?”</p><p>“Oh… so that’s why you wanted ginger ale, eh?” said Teruteru.</p><p>Hiyoko made a face and slowly walked to the cooler to get ginger ale. As she picked one up, she walked back and said,</p><p>“Hey! We’re out of soda!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“*sigh* I’ll go get some more. Teruteru, where are you keeping this extra cooler?” said I.</p><p>“Kitchen. Ice is in the freezer and drinks are in the fridge.” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Alright, I will go and fetch the dri-” </p><p>“I’ll race ya!” shouted Akane, interrupting me.</p><p>“...I’m not in the mood for a-”</p><p>“Too bad! I’m gonna win this time!” and then Akane sprinted off.</p><p>I left the other with a very loud sigh and walked towards the Hotel. The gate was already opened, no doubt due to Akane rushing in, and she was standing there by the pool. </p><p>“Hah! I did it! I beat you in a footrace!” yelled Akane.</p><p>“I wasn’t trying to-. Fine, you won, congratulations” said I.</p><p>“Woooo! Yeah baby, that’s what I’ve been waiting for!”</p><p>“...Whatever, I have to refill drinks.”</p><p>“I’m coming too. I need a drink.”</p><p>We walked into the restaurant through a side staircase that led straight to it. We walked into the kitchen and sure enough, a blue cooler was open and empty inside. </p><p>“Teruteru said that the ice was in the freezer. Can you make yourself useful and get that for me while I get the drinks?”</p><p>“Sure, big man!” Akane then dashed to the freezer at a fast pace and returned with ice faster than she said that sentence. She ripped the bag open and poured the ice in. I then carefully put in the extra soda from the fridge. Akane lived up to her word and grabbed a soda, opened it, chugged it, and crushed the empty can on her forehead.</p><p>“That was a bit… much” </p><p>“Nah, it was nothing. I could’ve shotgunned it, but then it would have spilled everywhere.”</p><p>“Ahh… thank you for not doing that.”</p><p>“Anyway, I’m gonna rush back to the party to get more food. Hopefully along the way I deal with this… rock in my shoe,” and with that, she left.</p><p>I picked up the big cooler and wondered what staircase I should go down: wooden or concrete? I guess I’ll pick the wooden staircase that leads into the hotel reception, I think it’ll have more traction. </p><p>Carrying a cooler down a flight of stairs is risky business, especially when you have soda inside. As I walked down the stairs, I heard a splash.</p><p>“Did Akane jump in the pool?” I said to myself.</p><p>I reached the bottom of the stairs and carried the cooler outside.</p><p> </p><p>I wasn’t ready for what I saw...</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I… will never forget what I saw in the pool. It-It was Akane, face down, floating in the pool. The entire pool was stained with her blood as well as a good portion of the side closest to cabins. </p><p>“Hey! Did you bastards bring the party to the-” said Fuyuhiko as he rounded the corner. “Oh shit.”</p><p> </p><p>CHAPTER 1:<br/>NO ONE ESCAPES DEATH<br/>DEADLY LIFE</p><p> </p><p>I dropped the cooler and stood there, motionless, only bringing my gaze up once to notice Fuyuhiko. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Akane’s corpse. I couldn’t take my eyes off of someone I failed to protect. No, I have to be stronger. A good leader is strong in dire circumstances. I must continue in the name of the Togami family!</p><p> </p><p>“G-Get the others…” I muttered loud enough for Fuyuhiko to hear. I… think he left, I didn’t see him in the same spot out of the corner of my eye. </p><p>I sat down on the cooler and started weeping. I can weep now as no one is around. It isn’t good for morals to have a leader weep. My handkerchief took the brunt of my pain and fluids slowly stopped coming from my face. Now, I was shaking. I-I wasn’t sure if it was fear or not…</p><p>I heard the gate open and soon I heard Hajime’s voice.</p><p>“Byakuya! Is she- oh… no.” said Hajime, running in and seeing… her.</p><p>“Akane!? AKANEEEEEEE!!!!!!” yelled Nekomaru, this time with more agony in his voice.</p><p>Pretty soon, everyone made a scream or a gasp and Nekomaru rushed over to the side of the pool and collapsed to his knees. Even though it was only a few days, the bond between Akane and Nekomaru was strong. I never thought best friends could be made that fast.</p><p>“...Wh-Why!? Why her!?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” shouted Teruteru.</p><p>“Th-This… It’s impossible…! She can’t truly be… It has to be a joke, right!?” yelled Kazuichi.</p><p>“E-Even if the blood was actually jam or sauce, no way she’s holding her b-breathe for that long!” said Ibuki.<br/>“Good gracious… I was betting on a murder at the party. Ah phooey! But, on the bright side, murder! On this tropical paradise known as Jabberwock Island, the very first murder has finally taken place!” said Monokuma as he suddenly came from nowhere.</p><p>“M-Murder…?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Dumbass! What else does this look like!? An accident?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“W-Wait, that… must mean…” said Nagito.</p><p>“Puhuhu… Of course…” said Monokuma. “Akane was killed by one of you. Just as Fuyuhiko said, Akane was obviously murdered. I would say she has a terrifying expression on her face, but it’s underwater and I haven’t seen it yet! But it has to be horrible dontcha think…? A face filled with horror as she was stabbed and sliced, all thanks to peer pressure… To have a dying face such as this… If this isn’t murder, then, and I quote, “What else does this look like!?””</p><p>He continued, “Akane was most likely killed by someone who *really* wanted to leave this island.”</p><p>“L-Lies… It’s all lies! You’re lying that she was murdered!” said Hajime.</p><p>“P-Please, Hajime…” said I, “As much as I wish it was… it-it can’t be one, not this time.”</p><p>“But why!? Why did it have to be her!?” said Nekomaru through his tears.</p><p>“I-I don’t know, Nekomaru. If I had the chance to be where she is now, I would take it. I would rather perish than any of you.” said I.</p><p>“Anyway, I must say it is quite convenient the murder took place here,” said Monokuma, “even Fuyuhiko is here! Drat, this may be redundant to do, but I guess I’ll do it this time for the sake of consistency and future knowledge!”</p><p>“Do… what?” said Hajime.</p><p>*Ding dong dong ding* The televisions scattered around turned on.</p><p>Monokuma showed up and then spoke, “A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin!” Then the t.v.s turned off.</p><p>“C-Class… trial?” said Hajime.</p><p>“I’ve already explained this to you, right?” said Monokuma. “If one of you gets murdered, the rest of you have to debate who you think is the blackened.”</p><p>“Y-You’re telling us… to figure out who the killer is…?”</p><p>“That’s right! From this point on, you guys must investigate and uncover the blackened culprit!” I… wished there was an Ultimate Detective or Investigator on this island now. I guess I’ll suffice, I think I got it in me.</p><p>“So, one of us m-murdered Akane and now this is an investigation?” said I.</p><p>“Bingo!”</p><p>“No… it can’t be. I-I won’t believe it,” said Nagito. “There’s no way… something as hopeless as that would ever happen!”</p><p>“If you’re actually thinking that way. It means you guys are already being conned by the killer. C’mon, c’mon, let’s get to it! An impassioned, life-risking battle between you guys and the blackened! Annnnd… it’s already started! It started the moment one of you plotted to kill someone!”</p><p>“H-Hey! What are you saying!?” said Monomi. “Everyone! Please! You cannot, you should not, believe what Monokuma says!”</p><p>“No matter how much you interfere… there is only one truth. On my grandfather’s name!”</p><p>“You have a grandpa!?”</p><p>“On my grandfather’s grave!”</p><p>Grave? Your grandpa is dead? What happened to him!?”</p><p>“On my grandfather’s-”</p><p>“Both of you shut up! Please, just… shut up!” shouted I, gathering the attention of everyone including the mourning Nekomaru.<br/>“Both of you have overstayed your welcome! If you two have nothing… informative to say, then I suggest you both leave us to find out who killed Akane!”</p><p>I think I scared everyone in the vicinity. You could hear a pin drop after my outburst. Monokuma looked surprised while Fuyuhiko and Gundham looked… impressed? Everyone else was in a state of shock.</p><p>“U-Umm… I have this,” said Monkuma as he handed me a file.</p><p>“What is this…?”</p><p>“It umm… It is the Monokuma File. It contains precise and detailed information regarding the dead body. I brought it so you guys have some groundwork to build on…”</p><p>“Good… now take a hike.”</p><p>“But… um.”</p><p>“Leave!”</p><p>“Yikes!” And then he finally left.</p><p>“...W-Way to go, Byakuya!” said Monomi.</p><p>“Unlike Monokuma, I don’t get in trouble for beating you senseless. So I suggest you leave as well, rodent,” said I. Monomi made a *very* sad expression and left.</p><p>There was an eerie silence as we were left alone. Everyone was looking at me, even Nekomaru.</p><p>I continued, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a murder to solve. It’s our necks on the line, we must guess correctly or we will die as well. In the name of the Togami family, this “blackened” will be found out and he or she will be prosecuted for their crimes. Now, who’s with me…?”</p><p>Dead silence…</p><p> </p><p>“...I’m with you,” said Hajime.</p><p>“I… I am with you too,” said Mahiru.</p><p>Nekomaru stood up, looked at me, and nodded.</p><p>“Is that the overall consensus?” said I.</p><p>“...Unless everyone else wants to die, then yes. I do believe everyone is with you on this,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Alright fatass, where do we start?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“We start with this Monokuma File…” said I.</p><p>“What tomes are written in this, “Monokuma File”?” said Gundham.</p><p>“*Ahem* The victim’s body was discovered in the swimming pool of the Hotel Mirai. The estimated time of death is 11:30 p.m. The victim had her throat slit and then was stabbed an additional seventeen times over her chest and back. Due to the incredible blood loss, the victim died of shock before falling into the pool. No chemicals or poisons were detected in the victim’s system.”</p><p>“A-As far as autopsies go, th-that is pretty accurate,” muttered Mikan.</p><p>“...So, now what?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Now… we investigate,” said Hajime.</p><p>“You heard him, spread out and look for clues!” said I. With that, everyone dispersed.</p><p>I got closer to Akane’s body and noticed three things. One, there was an awful lot of blood on the pool patio, two, there was something at the bottom of the pool, and three, there was, something on the pool patio.</p><p>I picked up the object first. “What is this?” said I.</p><p>“Hmm, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say it’s a knife sheath,” said Teruteuru. “But of course, it’s not to any kitchen knife I’ve ever seen.”</p><p>“Well… it could be important,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Indeed it could be…” said I.</p><p>I then moved my attention to the object at the bottom of the pool.</p><p>“There’s something at the bottom of this pool. Do you think it’s the knife for this sheath?”</p><p>“If that is the case, then we’re gonna have to go diving for it,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Nekomaru, can you please remove Akane from the pool?”</p><p>Nekomaru carefully removed Akane’s ragdoll body from the pool and… I wish she had a better wardrobe. Her white blouse wasn’t spared by the water and it became see through. Thankfully, no one commented on it, not even Teruteru.</p><p>“Thank you, now, does anyone want to dive?”</p><p>Several of them were already in swimsuits, it being a beach party and all, so I just assumed that they’d want to. It was a good list of people too. It was Peko, Mahiru, Ibuki, Nekomaru, Kazuichi, Gundham, Nagito, Mikan, and Hajime.</p><p>“Anybody…?”</p><p>...</p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>“Miss Sonia, hold my beanie…” said Kazuichi, taking off his beanie and giving it to Sonia. “Aw, this sucks. Akane, I really hope you don’t have HIV.” He cracked his knuckles and dove feet first in. He swam down to the bottom and started feeling around the bottom like a caveman in the dark. He came back up with a… shoe?”</p><p>“*Gasp* is this it?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“No. The object I saw was black, not white.” said I.</p><p>“Seriously!? I gotta go again!?”</p><p>“Aww, look at Kazuichi being a failure,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Hiyoko, you want to trade places with the bloodied Kazuichi?”</p><p>“Ew gross, hell no!”</p><p>“Then I suggest you keep quiet.”</p><p>“Oh, there it is, I’m right above it. Round two… fight! *Inhale*”</p><p>He went down and fiddled around some more and grabbed the object.</p><p>“*Gasp* Here ya go! What even is this? Ok, you were right *inhale* it is the knife.” Kazuichi crawled out of the pool covered in watered-down blood. “I’m gonna go take a shower… Miss Sonia, leave my beanie by my mailbox, please.”</p><p>“Will do,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Hmph, I didn’t expect a worm like him to do something so brave. I may… rethink him,” said Gundham.</p><p>“He probably did it to appease his, “Miss Sonia”!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Even if his intentions were to impress Sonia, he helped everyone with this,” said I.</p><p>*click*</p><p>“Knife fits!” said Hajime.</p><p>“Good, alright, back to business as usual.” Everyone then went back to wherever they were looking.</p><p>“So, we got two pieces of major evidence right from the start. I think this is going pretty well.”</p><p>“For a bunch of amateurs, we’re doing alright. I’m just dreading this… “trial” that’s said to be coming soon.”</p><p>Hajme then put his hand to his chin and probably also thought what the “trial” was going to be.</p><p>“But enough of that now,” I continued, “I think this may be another piece of evidence.” I then pointed to the blood splatter along the poolside. It was about three feet long from the edge of the pool.</p><p>“What about it?” Hajime questioned.</p><p>“See how unusually large it is?”</p><p>“Yeah… Wait, the person who killed Akane must’ve been covered in her blood.”</p><p>“Exactly what I was thinking; maybe you’re the Ultimate Detective.”</p><p>“Hmm… no, doesn’t feel right.”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...I’m going to go talk to Fuyuhiko, you should go to the beach and see if you find anything there,” said I.</p><p>“...Sounds good,” responded Hajime before leaving.</p><p>Time to go talk to the man who was unfortunate enough to be one of the first to discover her body. I wonder if he heard or saw anything I didn’t.</p><p>“Fuyuhiko?”</p><p>“...What do you want, fat bastard?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“*sigh* I want to know if you saw or heard anything that I didn’t before you discovered… Akane.”</p><p>“Tch… I heard a splash in the pool. I thought you assholes were bringing the party to the Hotel or something.”</p><p>“Anything else…?”</p><p>“I heard some footsteps… It sounded like someone was walking barefoot on the stone.”</p><p>“So the murderer was barefoot?”</p><p>“...I don’t know, why the fuck you askin’ me?”</p><p>“...That’s all I needed.”</p><p>“Good… now make like a tree and fuck off!”</p><p>That doesn’t… make… sense.</p><p>As I walked away from him, Peko approached me.</p><p>“...Sorry about him,” said Peko.</p><p>“No need to apologize for someone else’s deeds. Do you have any evidence?”</p><p>“Sadly not…”</p><p>“...Did you just come here to apologize for Fuyuhiko’s actions?”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...Look, I don’t care what kind of relationship you two have, but doing something like this is highly suspicious.”</p><p>“...I know.”</p><p>“Don’t do it again, ok?”</p><p>“...Understood.”</p><p>“Good…”</p><p>I then left Peko and went to rendezvous with Hajime on the beach.</p><p>Hmm, Peko and Fuyuhiko are definitely in some kind of relationship, that much is obvious. I doubt they first got to know each other on the island since Fuyuhiko is such an abrasive and hard to talk to person. They definitely knew each other from before we got here and if it is true that we lost our school memories, they knew each other before their school life. </p><p> </p><p>The beach was less than thrilling this time around. The grill was still smoking and there was still food on the table. Don’t mind if I do. As I pigged in, I didn’t notice Hajime behind me.</p><p>“...Uh, Byakuya?” said Hajime.</p><p>“*nom* *nom* *nom*”</p><p>“Byakuya…?”</p><p>“...Hmm? Oh! Hajime…” said I, finally. “What have you found?”</p><p>“Well, there’s nothing on the beach but… I think it’s best if you come with me.”</p><p>“Good… I also have something to show you.”</p><p>He brought me down the path to the changing rooms.</p><p>“Around here…” said Hajime, walking behind the changing rooms.</p><p>“...This better be good,” said I.</p><p>“I think… this qualifies.”</p><p>He was pointing to a knife taped to the backside of the changing rooms. It was the same model of knife that was found in the swimming pool. The tape was covered in some kind of glow-in-the-dark paint. I already checked these before the party started. Someone brought this in and taped it to the wall.</p><p>This is my fault...</p><p>This is all my fault isn’t it…?</p><p>“I… think it’s also better I show you this,” said I, pulling out a note from my pocket and giving it to Hajime.</p><p>“”Someone will die tonight”.” said Hajime. “When did you receive this?”</p><p>“This morning…”<br/>“Is that why you threw this party?”</p><p>“Surprisingly not… I was already thinking of it the night before. This note I received only seemed to fuel my ambition. I failed you all…”</p><p>“No, don't say that… I know you tried really hard to keep us protected but you are only one man. Hell, the murder in question didn’t even happen at the party, you did a really good job there.”</p><p>“...I suppose you’re right.”</p><p>As I was looking down, I saw drops of red across the dirt.</p><p>“Wait a second…” said I.</p><p>“What is it?” said Hajime.</p><p>“You see this… red trail?”</p><p>“Oh! Now I do.”</p><p>“It… continues. All the way to the beach…”</p><p>“You did say that the blood splatter was large. The victim had to be soaked.”</p><p>“And that would mean the culprit soaked themself in a different liquid to wash it off.”</p><p>Sure enough, I was right. It led straight to the ocean. That meant the killer walked all the way back to the beach after killing Akane.</p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong* My heart sunk.</p><p>Monokuma came up on screen. “Alright guys, it’s finally time! That’s right. It’s time for the long-awaited class trial! Now then, I shall tell you all the meeting place. At the central island of Jabberwock Island, there is a mountain with my adorable face carved into it. That, my friends, is Monokuma Rock! Once you’re there, please proceed to the underground by taking the elevator located at the secret entrance. Puhuhu, I’ll see you soon!”</p><p>“I… guess we head to Monokuma Rock,” said I.</p><p>This time, with Hajime at my side, we arrived first. Everyone who came had a sunken expression except for Nekomaru, his was just pure agony. Sure enough, there was a mountain with four Monokuma heads carved into it.</p><p>“...Huh?” said Kazuichi. “Hey, what the heck is that mountain!? Wh-When did that get there!?”<br/>“That story… that story might be true after all. There might be an enormous organization involved in all this…” said Peko.</p><p>“That much is indeed true. And it’s stronger than both the Kuzuryu clan and the Togami family,” said I.</p><p>“...Hey, what happened to Gundham and Fuyuhiko?” said Chiaki</p><p>“N-Now that you mention it… it appears they aren’t here yet…” said Mikan.</p><p>“Ah, I know! They probably ran away!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Aw Hell naw!” said Monokuma, popping out of nowhere again. “There’s no way I’d let them escape, you know! Look! I dragged this one back here!”</p><p>Sure enough, Monokuma was dragging Fuyuhiko who responded with, “I-I’m telling you, let me go!”</p><p>“Hey now, if you keep acting violent, I might just eat you up.”</p><p>“Hey Fuyuhiko! What were you doing all this time!?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Nothing… I wasn’t really doing anything,” said Fuyuhiko. “I was just chilling in my room when I heard a splash and suddenly, that bimbo got killed… Tch… Who the fuck cares about that anyway?” In response to that, Nekomaru looked like he was about to cry again.</p><p>“You… How can you say something so irresponsible…!? We’ve been doing our best to investigate this murder, even though we don’t want to, just to survive!”</p><p>“Mahiru, that’s enough… You too, Fuyuhiko…” said Nagito.</p><p>“Tch…! Dumbass…!” said Fuyuhiko. I think I found his favorite word.</p><p>“Now where is Gundham…?” said I.</p><p>“...I am right here,” said Gundham, behind me. “Remember this well! A main character arrives when he intends to!”</p><p>Hajime gave a strange look at Gundham.</p><p>“...It seems you noticed it too,” said Nagito to Hajime.</p><p>“Fuhahahaha!”</p><p>I’m… I don’t… What…? I will never understand Gundham nor Nagito.</p><p>“All right, now that everyone’s all together… Let’s take the secret entrance to the trial field!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“P-Please wait a second!” said Monomi…</p><p>“...My my, Monomi. Just what are you doing here? Nobody asked for you.”</p><p>“This is one of the few cases where I agree with Monokuma. Leave…” said I.</p><p>“I-I...I…!” said Monomi. “Y-You’re not gonna yell at me again, right? You w-were super scary then…”</p><p>“...Only if you continue to be an annoyance. Wait… are you asking to be in the class trial?”</p><p>Monomi nodded.</p><p>“You’re an even bigger masochist than I thought…” said Monokuma. “Oh well! I’m a big brother who dotes on his little sister. I shall allow your special participation!”</p><p>“...” came from Monomi.</p><p>“I’ll go ahead and wait for you guys, so hurry over!” Then Monokuma disappeared.</p><p>“He told us to come but… how do we get there?” said Teruteru. “I don’t see any doors… or vehicles…”</p><p>“He mentioned something… about a secret entrance, was it…?” said Mahiru.</p><p>Just then, one of the heads on Monokuma Rock opened its mouth and a mighty roar echoed throughout the night. </p><p>“Wh-What the…!? Something’s shaking…!?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Th-This is dangerous! Everyone, please get down!” said Monomi.</p><p>An escalator shot out of the head of the Monokuma who opened its mouth. Sure enough, it was powered and ready for anyone to ascend into Monokuma Rock.</p><p>“S-Something came out!?” shouted Mikan.</p><p>“Could it be… Is he telling us to enter it?” said Peko.</p><p>“S-Such a suspicious aura…! Even Crimson Steel Elephant Maga-Z is trembling with fear…!” said Gundham, holding out one of his hamsters.</p><p>“Uwaaah! That’s so totally suspicious!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“...I just took a shower and I’m sweating so much I may have to take another. What did I ever do to be on this island!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Hey, why don’t we just stop here? I mean… none of this is real anyway. Like… not even remotely…” said Teruteru. “There’s no way! There’s no way we’ll find the killer!”</p><p>“C-Complaining won’t get us anywhere! If you’re really a man, then man up for god’s sake!” said Mahiru. “We’ve come this far… We have no choice but to keep moving forward…”</p><p>“You’re right… There’s nowhere for us to run… We need to do it...” said Hajime.</p><p>“If that’s everyone’s decision… I’ll just follow you guys. If this were a video game, it’d have a very high difficulty level… Let’s do our best to clear the game,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“...Before we enter,” said I. “I have something to share with you all as your leader.”</p><p>“It seems… unwise to keep the bear waiting,” said Peko.</p><p>“Then I’ll be brief… I’m sorry.”</p><p>“...Sorry for what?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Failing you all… I promised I wouldn’t let anyone die and I failed. Now, I will continue to be your leader until the morning after this trial. From there, if anyone wants to take my position and everyone agrees on it, they may and I will step down.”</p><p>“C’mon Byakuya, that’s not needed…” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Yes it is… I failed you as your leader. As my final request as leader I want all of you to work together to find out who killed Akane. I will assist you all to the best of my abilities. Thank you…”</p><p>Everyone was filled with despair except for Hajime. Hajime seemed to just brush it off and, although he was shaking with fear, he was determined to press forward. He was the first one on the escalator followed by me. If anyone else is capable of leadership, it had to be him.</p><p>We stepped into some kind of elevator. I’m surprised it was big enough to hold fifteen people comfortably. We were going down… very far down…</p><p>“This… is an elevator!” said Nekomaru. “I see…! This entire rock is an elevator!”<br/>“Once again… Monokuma is doing what he pleases…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“However, if he’s gone this far and made something like this… I don’t think he’s playing around,” said Peko.</p><p>“Even so, it’s been over a minute thirty. Wherever we’re going, we keep going deeper,” said I.</p><p>“You’re right…” said Hajime. His teeth then began to chatter. He tried his best to hide it but I think everyone here is sharing some form of fear or anxiety.</p><p>The hum of the elevator was getting louder as everyone stopped talking. I feel someone should say anything just to break this hum.</p><p>*ding* Thankfully, the elevator stopped and the doors swung open.</p><p> </p><p>It then occurred to me that someone isn’t going back up in the elevator and that someone is the person who killed Akane.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey look everybody, a corpse! Finally, I finally wrote enough to get through an investigation.</p><p>I'm having fun with this at least and I'd say not bad for a first work.</p><p> </p><p>Anyway, I got my Activision account back and I'm playing Cold War day in day out. Also, the class trial is gonna be as graceful as falling down the stairs. I physically don't exactly know how to write one so I'm shooting from the hip and hoping for the best. Hopefully, it won't be as obvious as 11037.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Okayyy! Welcome!” said Monokuma, standing on top of a throne. “This is the class trial field! How do you like it? It’s a special place that will decide your fates!”</p><p>“Tch… what the hell is he thinking…!? Locking us in a shitty-looking place like this…!” said Fuyuhiko. “Are you fuckin’ crazy!? Don’t mess with me, asshole!”</p><p>“Puhuhu… Complain all you like, I’m used to it by now. C’mon, you’re wasting time and energy. Hurry up and take your seats where your names are written!”</p><p>Just like he said, we all obliged. It’s not like we had a choice. Either way, it was a good setup for what will take place. All fifteen of us are in a circle to debate about sinister actions. I looked at my neighbors, to my left was Chiaki and to my right, Mikan. It feels weird knowing one of them may be a murderer.</p><p>The Ultimate Gymnast, Akane Owari… She was a little dumb, thick-headed, and a quick to fight… But… she also was a good sport about anything, especially when it came to eating. I’m… glad she won the race when she did. Looking back on it now, I’m happy I didn’t feed into her competitive nature. You won and I failed. I failed to protect you even if you thought you didn’t need any. I’ll make it up to you by finding out your killer…</p><p> </p><p>It’s still… uncomfortable to think a murderer is among us, but I’ve accepted it. Sometimes it’s best to just let go and face the problem. Now we all have our duty to find out who's a murderer by any means necessary… Now the battle between hope and despair is on. Eugh, I felt like Nagito right there… that’s something he would say aloud.</p><p> </p><p>Class Trial<br/>ALL RISE</p><p> </p><p>“Now then, let’s begin with a simple explanation of the class trial,” said Monokuma. “During the class trial, you will present your arguments for who the killer is, and vote for “whodunnit”. If you vote correctly, then only the blackened will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong person… I’ll punish everyone *besides* the blackened, and that person will earn the right to leave this island!” </p><p>“S-Such a cruel rule…!” said Monomi, hanging from the ceiling by rope. That was phrased poorly. There’s rope around her body and she’s hanging that way. Uncomfortable, probably, deadly, not really.</p><p>“Before we begin, I’d like to confirm one thing. Is there really a killer among us?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Most definitely… There’s no doubt that the blackened is lurking among you,” said Monomkuma. “Such a sad state of affairs, isn’t it? By the way, this class trial is gonna be 100 percent fair, so there’s no need to worry. I’m the type who hates favoritism and prejudice… Well, not as much as I hate Monomi, of course.”</p><p>“You hate me that much!?” said Monomi, the peanut gallery.</p><p>“Now let’s begin!”</p><p>“Alright, where is a good point to start off?” said I, followed by silence.</p><p>“Well… Akane was found in the Hotel pool so…” said Hiyoko. “Mr. Ham Hands and Boss Baby are the suspects!”</p><p>“*Gasp* Not Byakuya!” said Ibuki. “Fuyuhiko on the other hand… Ibuki expects.”</p><p>“Hey! What the fuck!? I didn’t fucking do it!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“What happened to that tough guy speech saying you could “do it”?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“*sigh* No, neither me nor Fuyuhiko is the culprit,” said I.</p><p>“What makes you say that?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“After I saw… Akane, I saw Fuyuhiko coming around the corner.”</p><p>“Yeah, and I saw Byakuya holding a cooler on the other side of where Akane was killed.” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“So what you’re saying is none of you could’ve done it?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Precisely…” said I.</p><p>“Then what if you two are in on it and holding alibis for each other?”</p><p>“...That’s better suited for Monokuma. Monokuma, what happens if this “blackened” has an accomplice?”</p><p>“In a case where the blackened has an accomplice, only the person who did the killing would graduate and leave this island!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“So an accomplice is useless, correct?”</p><p>“An accomplice has its uses… But eventually, they’re the ones who could rat you out so it’s best to tie up loose ends!”</p><p>“And there you have it, there are no accomplices.”</p><p>“Hey! We haven’t determined that yet. What if you guys didn’t know about the rule beforehand?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Then… upon hearing Monokuma, we’d sell the other person out instantly.”</p><p>“Excuse me but…” said Mikan. “C-Couldn’t one of you have just killed Akane and then g-got into position so it would make you seem l-like you didn’t do it?”</p><p>“Good question, Mikan. Let’s start from there…” said Nagito.</p><p>“Byakuya, couldn’t you have just killed Akane in Hotel? You two were alone.”</p><p>“Exactly, why didn’t I supposedly kill her in the Hotel? I’d have had the drop on her in there too as she was preoccupied filling up the cooler,” said I.</p><p>“Maybe you wanted to set everything up?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“If that’s the case, then I’d have to get into a fight with her and I’ve seen the punches she’s pulled on Nekomaru.”</p><p>“Well, if Nekomaru is the only person capable of fighting her, then he must’ve killed Akane!” </p><p>“No, that’s wrong!” said Hajime. “Nekomaru was lifeguarding the whole time at the beach and couldn’t move. There’s no way he could’ve snuck away to kill Akane and come back just in time.”</p><p>“Exactly, I am cleared because I simply didn’t do it,” said I.</p><p>“If it helps any, I am also in the clear because I was at the grill,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“How do we fully know that you were at the grill the whole time?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Trust me, in the time it takes to go down to the Hotel, kill someone, and run back, you would’ve smelled the food burning.”</p><p>“There you have it, three people in the clear, including me. Rejoice!” said I.</p><p>“No way! You could’ve moved her body there!”</p><p>“There would have been a devilish trail of blood leading to the hellish swimming pool!” said Gundham. “It is true that Byakuya is not the one who committed this heinous act!”</p><p>“Wow, Gundham, you’re so smart!” said Sonia.</p><p>“...Darn it,” said Kazuichi, pulling his beanie over his eyes.</p><p>“Too bad, grease monkey! Too bad you’re soooooo stupid and boring and unpopular! Your life is meaningless!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I-I respond better to praise, you know!”</p><p>“But if Byakuya didn’t do it, is Fuyuhiko still in the clear?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“...Yes, I believe so,” said I.</p><p>“How can you be so sure?” said Nagito.</p><p>“...I have my full trust in him.”</p><p>“You’re putting your trust in… me?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Yes, I am. I trust he didn’t send the note…!”</p><p>“Note? What fucking note?”</p><p>“I guess I have to thank myself for reminding me, during the morning I received this note under my door.” I held out and unfolded the note. “It says, “Someone will die tonight” on it and I don’t believe Fuyuhiko wrote this.”</p><p>“What makes you say that?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“...If Fuyuhiko wanted to threaten you, he'd say it to your face. I highly doubt that he’d send a note.”</p><p>“You’re goddamn right I would you fat bastard!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“...Plus, he’d probably write an insult as well.”</p><p>“So… you’re saying that this murder was… premeditated?” said Peko.</p><p>“Maybe… and maybe I was supposed to be the intended target.”</p><p>“That makes sense. Maybe poor Akane was in the way since she exited the Hotel first and… had to be silenced for it,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Hmm… so, the culprit had to be at the beach… Did anyone else see anyone leave? I was too busy cooking to look out at everyone,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“That’s a lie. You were… staring at the girls especially…” said Peko.</p><p>“Hehehe, you know me all too well…”</p><p>“...To answer your question, no. I was sitting by the entrance to the beach and never saw anyone leave,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“But aren’t you a slave to that digital mechanism?” said Gundham.</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...The game wasn’t that good.”</p><p>“So, if no one left the beach, we’re back at square one with Byakuya or Fuyuhiko, right?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“No, you’re wrong,” said I.</p><p>“What!? How am I wrong this time!?”</p><p>“There is a side entrance that’s very hidden. If you go to the changing room area and look around, you can see an old path covered by bushes. If you follow it, it leads to the main road. This was possibly used to avoid Chiaki.”</p><p>“So… now we’re back to the beach *sigh*,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Speaking of the changing rooms, it should be known that there was a knife of the same model as the one in the pool found taped to the side of them.”</p><p>“There was another knife?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Yes, and this one was brought in during the party.”</p><p>“How do you know it was brought in during the party?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Earlier today, Nagito was the one who showed me the changing rooms and I went to inspect them. There was nothing taped to the side when I inspected.”</p><p>“Interesting…” said Gundham. “So the person who taped the knife to the side of the changing room was present at the party…”</p><p>“What’re you gettin’ at?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Hmm… Byakuya, can you tell us anything else about this knife?”</p><p>“It was taped to the side of the changing room and the tape itself was covered in some kind of glow-in-the-dark paint,” said I.</p><p>“Something of this capacity requires preplanning, no? Most of us did not know of the changing room until we got there.”</p><p>“Well, the only people who knew about the changing rooms were me and Na-.” Oh… oh no.</p><p>“Nagito…” said Hajime. “You were the one who put the knife there, aren’t you?”</p><p>“...” said Nagito.</p><p>“You sick and twisted bastard!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Now that you mention it… Nagito did prepare a drawing to pick who would go with Byakuya to get supplies,” said Nekomaru. </p><p>“You tried to rig the drawing didn’t you?” shouted Mahiru. “That’s why you were so forceful in trying to get to the beach, isn’t it?”</p><p>“I don’t know if you’re the killer or not, but… Regardless, it proves that you’re suspicious, right?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Gh...gh-gh…!” said Nagito.</p><p>“That’s why you seemed a little disheartened when I said I was going to inspect the changing rooms…” said I.</p><p>“You got us to lower our guard and you tried to hide the fact that you did it, didn’t you, you motherfucker!?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Well? Just admit it already!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Ngh… ngh…!” said Nagito.</p><p>“Nagito, tell me you object to this… Frankly, I don’t want to believe it either…” said Hajime. “You introduced me to everyone… You even talked to me at the beach while I waited for Byakuya to arrive… You were so kind… I can’t believe you’re the one who killed Akane…”</p><p>“Ngh...nghhhh…!”</p><p>“Nagito! Say something!”</p><p>“T-th….. Thhhhhhhhhhh….!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“This wasn’t part of the plan! The Ultimates are working together to combat the despair of their friend’s death and it is beautiful but… I had no part in this murder! Someone, an Ultimate, did this on their own accord!”</p><p>“...Eh?” said Hajime.</p><p>I looked into Nagito’s eyes and found the darkness that lies within. But… this wasn’t a sadistic type of darkness, it was one of pure agony. It was layered on top of each other, each one driving him down. It was as if hope and despair had been crudely mixed together.</p><p>Nagito dropped to one knee. “Let’s… cut to the chase… You’re correct! I was the one who taped the knife there. I’m the one who tried to rig the drawing. And of course, I’m the one who sent the note to Byakuya. After all, there’s no way I’d just whip out a knife in front of everyone.”</p><p>“I-Is it just me or… does he seem a little nuts right now?” said Ibuki who was right next to Nagito.</p><p>“But… I didn’t have any part in this murder… I was ready to bring an act of despair to the party and watch as Byakuya brought hope to everyone by stopping me in my tracks but… I never got to fulfill that. It was supposed to be a nice twist ending to the party. Haha...ha… Byakuya would’ve performed admirably!”</p><p>“J-Just stop it already…! Seriously… what the hell happened to you!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Don’t tell me… Is this your true nature? Were you lying to us this entire time?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Me, lie? That’s outrageous! There’s no way someone like me could ever lie to you guys!” said Nagito. “I understand better than anyone else that I’m ultimately worthless… even tonight showed that off. I’m too arrogant to have dreams or cling to hope… I’m too disdainful to actually try at anything… I’ve made peace with the fact that I’m a lowly, stupid, insgnificant human who can’t do anything right.”</p><p>“Holy crap! He’s *totally* the type of guy who spent his childhood killing neighborhood pets!” shouted Ibuki.</p><p>“He seems like the sort of person whose eyes light up while watching “Friday the 13th”... Just like me,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Th-That’s quite the hobby you have there… But, like, now’s not really the time to bring it up…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Alright, time’s up, Nagito! This therapy session is over! Is it true that you actually had nothing to do with Akane’s death!?” said I.</p><p>“I… almost wish I did. I wish I had a part in it…” said Nagito.</p><p>“You were just insane a minute ago. No one’s gonna believe you!” said Hiyoko. And here’s me thinking that Gundham was a little off. Nagito makes him seem normal.</p><p>“You threatened me and manipulated me but… I’m confident that you didn’t kill Akane,” said I.</p><p>“Wow, now Mr. Ham Hands is insane too!”</p><p>“...In the face of someone who did despicable acts, you believe him. You truly are a beacon of hope, Byakuya,” said Nagito.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You may be wondering, "Where have you been?"</p><p>Christmas happened and I got Phasmophobia, Cyberpunk: 2077, and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla so that's where I've been for the past two or so weeks. Thankfully, those weeks gave me more time to develop the trial that I'm still not done with yet.</p><p>I'm not done with it, but I'll give yall a bit anyway.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ah, being trusted by an Ultimate. This is a beautiful experience!” said Nagito.</p><p>“Hey, I may have your back but that can easily change depending on how you act,” said I.</p><p>“Woah! That rhymed!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“So Nagito… can you tell us exactly what you did?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Alright, I taped a knife to the changing room and covered it in some glow-in-the-dark paint so I could see it better. I was planning on grabbing it during the party as soon as Byakuya returned but… I never got the chance,” said Nagito.</p><p>“If you are telling exactly what you were planning, then it is true. You had nothing to do with Akane’s death,” said I.</p><p>“I trusted you Nagito and you broke that trust… and I have to trust you again on this. You really didn’t commit this murder…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Your reasoning is out of focus!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“...Eh?”</p><p>“Hey, Unreliable Hajime! Haven’t you forgotten the murder weapon? It was the same knife that was found in the pool and Nagito simply could’ve just wiped off the blade!”</p><p>I motioned to Hajime to stand down. “Alright, let’s hear what you think happened,” said I.</p><p>“Nagito could’ve just gone to the changing room while Byakuya and Akane were gone and got the knife. He then followed them back to the Hotel and stabbed Akane when she exited. He then went back to the changing room, put the knife back in its place, and returned to the party.”</p><p>“You’re wrong!” said Hajime.</p><p>“Enlighten me…”</p><p>“The person who killed Akane had to have been soaked in her blood judging by the splatter pattern to the side of the pool.”</p><p>“Well… then he washed it off!”</p><p>“Not possible. I was talking with Nagito and he never got wet the entire night despite wearing a bathing suit.”</p><p>“Nagito,” said I. “This plan of yours forbids you to go into the water?”</p><p>“Well… I could’ve, but it wouldn’t have been smart. I did need to make sure where you were at all times so you could become a hero,” said Nagito. “Playing in the ocean, although fun, wasn’t a good idea. Plus, no one would want to swim with trash like me.”</p><p>“Low self-esteem aside, Nagito and Nekomaru never went into the water and Nekomaru has a strong alibi. Nagito’s story, although flimsy, still holds up,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Hmm… I guess you’re right. Even if Nagito is a strange human being, I suppose he didn’t kill Akane,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Alright! Does that mean the killer was wearing a bathing suit?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“It makes the most sense,” said Peko. “The killer couldn’t just wash off the blood in the shower in their cottage.”<br/>“Nor could they have jumped into the pool…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Then… am I finally right!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Yes, yes you are,” said I.</p><p>“Hell yeah!”</p><p>“Well… now that we know our killer got wet and was wearing a bathing suit, maybe we should tackle the murder weapon.”</p><p>“What’s there to tell? Akane was fucking stabbed by the knife Kazuichi found in the pool,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Mmph…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Hey, big guy! Something the fucking matter? Wanna share what’s funny with the class?”</p><p>“It’s just… bothering me.”</p><p>“What’s bothering you?”</p><p>“Well… Akane was extremely athletic and didn’t want anything to break her stride…”</p><p>“And? How does this shit get us any closer to finding the killer!?”</p><p>“Akane kept her shoes tight. There’s no way that her shoe would’ve been found off of her unless she took it off herself.”</p><p>“Then again… she was complaining about a rock in her shoe earlier. Maybe she finally chose to get at it by the pool,” said I.</p><p>“Regardless,” said Hajime. “Let’s focus on the knife itself.”</p><p>“The knife we found was kinda big. It does look like it was made for self-defence purposes.”</p><p>“Oh! I think I see what you’re gettin’ at!” said Teruteru. “But I’ll let you finish.”</p><p>“Wouldn't Akane have noticed the killer coming at them with a big knife?”</p><p>“Well now… I was picking up what you’re putting down.”</p><p>“Couldn’t they have just hid the knife behind their back?” said Mikan.</p><p> </p><p>“It didn’t look possible. From what I saw in the knife, it seems like a modern version of a tanto knife. It resembles a small sword, so I doubt one could hold it behind their back efficiently,” said Peko.</p><p>“Oh yeah!? And how do you know what type of knife it is? Did you use it tonight?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I know about tanto knives because I am a swordswoman…”</p><p>“She is correct. A knife like the one in the pool and taped to the changing room would be difficult to hide behind one’s back. At least, not without injury to oneself,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Even if it is on the smaller end, it is still razor sharp and a bad idea to hide behind your back.” </p><p>“Then that may be why the sheath was there, no?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Hmm, good point. If you had the sheath on, hiding the knife behind your back would be much easier.”</p><p>“So… would that make it so you could hide it behind your back and kill someone with it?”</p><p>“Hold on… I fought with Akane...” said Nekomaru. “I’ve seen her reflexes and I’ve seen her speed. In the time it’d take to unsheath the knife, she’d be ready for it.” Nekomaru wiped away a tear.</p><p>“I can personally hold up his argument as I saw them fighting the other day. Both of them were throwing fast jabs and most of Nekomaru’s were being blocked,” said I. Nekomaru mouthed a thanks to me.</p><p>“Isn’t that a little… circumstantial?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“We have a limited time window to solve this and it’s our necks on the line. We have to take circumstantial until we have an argument that makes more sense. On another note, Monokuma, are we being timed?”</p><p>“Nope! Trials last as long as it’s needed. The only thing that can make a trial end is if everyone is in agreement on voting who the blackened is!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“There’s that. The knife wasn’t being hidden because it couldn’t be hidden.”</p><p>“Seeing as how everyone agrees on the knife being hard to hide, I don’t think it killed Akane,” said Hajime.</p><p>“You don’t think the big knife that says, “I am the murder weapon” killed Akane!?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Yes, I don’t believe that the knife Kazuichi fished out of the pool killed Akane.”</p><p>“No, Ibuki says that you’re thinking badly. We have evidence to prove the knife that went swimming was the one that entered Akane. It’s even covered in blood!”</p><p>“Hajime brings up a good point, Ibuki,” said I.</p><p>“Wh-What!?”</p><p>“We don’t actually have evidence that the knife in question killed Ibuki.”</p><p>“B-But… it was covered in her blood!”</p><p>“It was… but it fell in the pool. Everyone got a look at Kazuichi when he exited the pool, correct?”</p><p>“Yeah! I was absolutely soaked in her… ya know. I had to take a shower immediately,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“It may be true that the knife also went through the same thing Kazuichi went through.”</p><p>“Um… if I may add, if the person who killed Akane didn’t have the knife, then who did?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Well then that’s easy it’s… it has to be…” Wait, who had the knife!? “I-I don’t know… I don’t know who the knife belonged to.”</p><p>“Th-Then how did the knife get there?” said Mikan</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>Hajime was mumbling something to himself.</p><p>...</p><p>“Akane…” said Hajime. “Akane had to have been the one.”</p><p>There was a silence across everyone. It’s either they believed in Hajime or couldn’t come up with a counter argument or maybe it was a combination of both. There was a dead stare from Nekomaru directed at Hajime. I don’t think he liked his words.</p><p>“No…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“...Eh?”</p><p>“She… isn’t the type… she would never.”</p><p>“But… we have no other options. There is no one else who could’ve brought the knife to the scene.”</p><p>“Then please… explain. Explain to me how she brought the knife…”</p><p>“...It was sheathed and hidden in her shoe. That is also why her shoe was taken off.” That’s why she was fiddling with her shoe all day!</p><p>“...” Nekomaru put one hand on his podium in front of him.</p><p>“Although her reflexes may have been fast, I don’t think she ever wielded a knife. I-Is that true?”</p><p>Nekomaru nodded his head, making Hajime’s claim ring true.</p><p>“Then Akane brought the knife in. Akane was killed by something else.” Nekomaru put his other hand on his face and tears fell. There wasn’t a sound being made from Nekomaru.</p><p>Chiaki then put her hand on Nekomaru and he accepted the gesture. The air was now bitter but I now have to break the ice again.</p><p>“...I think… we should focus on the blood splatter by the pool once more. The knife appears to be fully… explored,” said I.</p><p>“What more is there to tell?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Well, from what we discovered earlier, the murderer had to be wearing a bathing suit due to the splatter pattern by the pool.”</p><p>“Then what is our list of suspects?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“If I remember correctly, Peko, Mahiru, Ibuki, Nekomaru, Kazuichi, Gundham, Nagito, and Hajime. Nekomaru, Kazuichi, and Nagito are in the clear and omitted from this list. Nekomaru was watching out for everyone and couldn’t go in, Nagito was doing… all that, and Kazuichi wasn’t wet before he jumped in the pool.”</p><p>“Eating food before going into the water is really bad for you! I tried to tell everyone but no one would listen, except for Miss Sonia, of course!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Isn’t that just a myth?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Hey! I don’t trust anything I don’t know!”</p><p>“Okay, the list is now Peko, Mahiru, Ibuki, Gundham, Mikan, and Hajime,” said I. “One of these people killed Akane and cleaned themself off in the ocean. We know this due to there being no other way to clean off that would throw suspicion off and there was a blood trail from the changing rooms to the ocean.”</p><p>“Couldn’t they just dry themself off?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“You may be able to fully make yourself look dry, but your clothing is much tougher to rid of water.”</p><p>“Fair point.”</p><p>“Since I wasn’t there during the party, could anyone lend me any info from it?”</p><p>“Well… you were right. I was staring at all of the girls.”</p><p>“Excuse me? How does being a pervert help us!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Since this list of Byakuya’s is mostly girls, I can tell info on them because I was eyeing them up and they looked more delicious than what I was cooking.”</p><p>“Are you going to get on with it or are you going to disgust us some more?” said I.</p><p>“Fine, fine. Peko and Ibuki arrived with swimsuits on and they were accompanied by Mikan and Sonia, respectfully. Mikan didn’t have her bathing suit on and neither did Mahiru when they arrived.”</p><p>“How about the boys?”</p><p>“...Hey um, I saw Hajime arrive with a swimsuit on,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Okay, Gundham?”</p><p>“I witnessed Gundham arrive with a swimsuit on. I know for a fact because I greeted him when he first arrived,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Wait… Nagito, who did you see go into the changing rooms?”</p><p>“Well… I saw Mahiru and Mikan of course,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Were you watching it the whole time?”</p><p>“Sadly no. I got a little hungry and got a bag of chips from the table.”</p><p>“So… the killer could’ve snuck through in that time window?”</p><p>“Yes… wait. That must mean the killer is either Mikan or Mahiru!”</p><p>“I was getting there… but yes, you are correct.”</p><p>“Wait, what!?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Aww… why me?” said Mikan.</p><p>“No one could get past Chiaki without her noticing as she was at the entrance to the party. You two were the only ones who could’ve used the changing room entrance.”</p><p>“But… what if someone snuck into the changing rooms while Nagito wasn’t looking!?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Then… that puts everyone who w-was wet b-back in suspicion, right?” said Mikan.</p><p>“Well if that’s the case, Peko is clear. I can’t ignore a body like that, would have noticed that it’s gone missing,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“They just snuck back into the party while everyone was going to the Hotel!” said Mahiru. “Yeah! That’s it!”</p><p>“My point still stands…”</p><p>“I walked with Gundham to the Hotel. Both he and Kazuichi can attest to that,” said Sonia.</p><p>“That is correct!” said Gundham, uproariously.</p><p>“Miss Sonia is right!” said Kazuichi, uproariously.</p><p>“And Hajime was the first one through the gate of the Hotel…” said I.</p><p>“So, those two bitches are still the only ones who could’ve done this?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Hey! Who are you calling a “bitch”!? Do I have to teach you some manners you baby-faced grouch!?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Are you fucking with me!? I’ll fucking end you, bitch!?”</p><p>“No fighting in the courtroom!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“What the fuck are you gonna do about it, huh!?”</p><p>“Remember, no assaulting the headmaster or… casualties may occur!”</p><p>Fuyuhiko then grumbled.</p><p>“Mikan, you took that rather well,” said I.</p><p>“I-I-I’m used to being called names. I-I’m sorry for being a bitch!” said Mikan.</p><p>“Uhh… what?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“I-I said I’m sorry!” Fuyuhiko continued to be dumbfounded.</p><p>“Look at her, apologizing again,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Eep…!”</p><p>“What, is pig-barf gonna cry again?”</p><p>“Hiyoko, stop!” said I.</p><p>“Great, there’s Mr. Ham Hands to ruin the fun again.”</p><p>“Has she been bullying Mikan the whole night?”</p><p>“Yeah, she has. Calling her “pig-barf”, telling her to act like a chicken which Mikan promptly does, and she even said that she should go murder someone or she’ll murder her,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Hah, it’d be funny if she actually did it…” said Hiyoko in a slightly worried tone.</p><p>“This is serious! She could be the murderer, Hiyoko!” said I.</p><p>“B-But… I’m not,” said Mikan.</p><p>“Well Mahiru would never kill anyone!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Exactly! I have no reason to kill anyone!” said Mahiru.</p><p>It appears we’re at an impasse. Mikan to my right, Mahiru to my left, both equally capable of murder. I have a hunch, but I am unsure if I should act upon it. We’re out of options… I have to!</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think I'm doing a good job writing this. The entire time writing this I was thinking of Chapter 2's trial because it needed work and I made a breakthrough.</p><p>But that's so much farther ahead.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Mikan, Mahiru, are you not telling us something?” said I.</p><p>“Yeah! Did you kill Akane!?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“If you continue to talk, Mahiru, I will suspect you more than Mikan.”</p><p>“Geez, why do boys have to be like that?” Did she intend for that to sound sexist?</p><p>“Anyway, Mikan…”</p><p>“...Y-Yes?” said Mikan.</p><p>“Did you kill Akane?”</p><p>“N-No! I did not kill A-Akane!!”</p><p>“Alright… prove yourself.”</p><p>“U-Umm, I got to the party around the time of the announcement in my normal clothes. I was having a great time…” Just then, I heard snickering from one of our smaller classmates.</p><p>“Hiyoko, something to share?”</p><p>“I just find it funny that she said she had a “great time,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p>“S-She was c-calling me names the whole time…” said Mikan.</p><p>“That’s right, and Hiyoko was showing no mercy either,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Pfft, why would I show mercy to pig-barf? She’s so weak that she crumbles over anything I’d say!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“So, Mikan, you were being bullied the whole night?” said I.</p><p>“...Y-Yes,” said Mikan, weakly. This is a matter I need to look at. I need to have a talk with Hiyoko after this.</p><p>“Now… what kind of insults were being thrown?”</p><p>“Eh… um, er…”</p><p>“Besides pig-barf, I was calling her a pig, a dog, and I told her to burn her hand on the grill because she's worthless scum and she didn’t even get that right!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Oh, is that why Mikan was trying to touch the fire!?” said Teruteru. Mikan nodded.</p><p>“You also told her to go kill someone…” said Peko.</p><p>“Oh yeah, I did. Wouldn’t it be funny if she did?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“No… it wouldn’t be,” said I.</p><p>“Hiyoko, this is serious!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“You told Mikan to go kill someone…?” </p><p>“Yeah and if she didn’t, I’d kill her myself. Y’know, as a joke,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>That’s the line I was locked on. As soon as I heard that, I knew something was wrong. Here comes my gambit. This is a stupid, awful plan that if I’m wrong, I will look even worse than Nagito. Well, I can’t sugarcoat this, I have to be blunt…</p><p>“Well then, I guess Mikan killed Akane.”</p><p>“What..!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“...Eh!?” said Hajime.</p><p>“...Huh!?” said Mikan.</p><p>I think that woke everyone up…</p><p>“B-Byakuya, what are you getting at?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Well, I believe we have all the evidence we need to accuse Mikan as this, “blackened” person,” said I.</p><p>“No, that’s wrong! All the evidence we have is circumstantial. We need a confession or some hard evidence to actually prove she killed Akane,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Didn’t Hiyoko just confess to threatening Mikan with murder if she didn’t commit one? I think that’s all we needed.”</p><p>“What!? No, I didn’t convince Mikan to kill Akane!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Oh, am I hearing this correctly? Is the person who was bullying Mikan the whole night coming to her defense?” </p><p>“...T-That’s not f-fair…” said Mikan.</p><p>“Speak up, will you?”</p><p>“That’s n-not…”</p><p>“Not what?”</p><p>“THAT’S NOT FAIR!” I didn’t even think she could get loud.</p><p>“Oh, why isn’t it fair?”</p><p>“...S-Sorry for raising my voice but… it’s impossible.”</p><p>“We narrowed it down to two suspects so obviously it is *very* possible…”</p><p>“*sigh* Your evidence doesn’t hold up, fat man. I *never* believed Hiyoko’s joke…”</p><p>“But you’d put your hand on a grill if she told you!?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Shut up, Teruteru. The grown ups are talking.” Teruteru then seemed very confused. “Isn’t it equally possible that Mahiru killed Akane as well?”</p><p>“Yes, but I’m focusing on you right now,” said I.</p><p>“And why is it that you’re focusing on me instead of that red-headed tramp over there?”</p><p>“...H-Hey!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Well, I’ve been thinking over the murder weapon…” said I.</p><p>“And what about it? What about the damned weapon!?” said Mikan.</p><p>“This weapon had to be special. It had to be easily concealable, without injury mind you, and deal exceptional damage to a human body. You know what fits that bill that’ll immediately make everyone in this room cast suspicion on you, Mikan?”</p><p>“What!?”</p><p>“A scalpel…”</p><p>“...Huh?”</p><p>“That… fits…!” said Peko.</p><p>“Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh…”</p><p>“Anything to add, Mikan?” said I.</p><p>“W...W-Who…”</p><p>“I’m waiti-”</p><p>“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? I GOT CHANGED TO GO SWIMMING, ANYONE COULD HAVE GRABBED A SCALPEL FROM MY CLOTHES AND USED IT!!”</p><p>“So you admit you have a scalpel, the perfect tool for this crime, at your disposal?”</p><p>“Of course I do! I am a nurse!”</p><p>Hajime caught my attention. It seems as if he has a thought and wants to get it out. He’s going to have to wait because Mikan isn’t finished breaking down.</p><p>“Why me!? That isn’t fair! ANYONE could’ve grabbed it! Why don’t you believe me!?”</p><p>“Hajime… you have a thought?” said I. He nodded. “Alright, wait a bit…”</p><p>“Not fair! Not fair! Not fair! Not fair! Not fair!”</p><p>“You done…?”</p><p>“What do you have that proves I killed Akane!?”</p><p>“Nagito Komaeda,” said Hajime.</p><p>“What?” said I.</p><p>“Huh?’ said Mikan.</p><p>“Wha… M-me!?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Yes, you Nagito. With one simple question and I get an important answer,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Ok… what is it?”</p><p>“You were checking who went to the changing rooms, correct?”</p><p>“Yes… what about it?”</p><p>“Who did you see leave?”</p><p>“Well, I saw Mahiru leave. I never saw Mikan…”</p><p>And just like spectators at a tennis match, everyone looked to one side of the room, the side with Mikan in it.</p><p> </p><p>“Y-You’re wrong… You weren’t looking carefully enough,” said Mikan. “I-I’m not the killer, it’s not fair!”</p><p>“What a disappointment. Such an unseemly defense for an Ultimate like you. Can you really call that hope?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Hey Nagito… I know you said something really important but… can you just be quiet?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“You are all just going off of Byakuya’s scalpel thought. You are all just wrong!” said Mikan. “Eyewitnesses are known to be subject to suggestion!”</p><p>“Nagito is positively insane and was hellbent on completing this strange act of attempted murder. Suggestion didn’t sway him if he was encapsulated by the changing rooms,” said I.</p><p>“I guess we need to settle this… once and for all…” said Chiaki. “To do that. We need to go over the entire incident from beginning to end and make everything clear…”</p><p>“That sounds like a wonderful idea. Tell ‘em Hinata.”</p><p>“I… will just, never say that again…” said Hajime.</p><p>“...Take it from the top.”</p><p>“Let’s try to go over the whole incident from after the party took place… Byakuya had us gather at the beach and some of us appeared in swimsuits because of this environment. A spot with clear lines of sight and no walls made it very difficult to get away with murder. He chose this spot because of a letter he received the day of. Though one didn’t come, the rest of us were gathered on the beach or in the ocean. But at that time, a plan was already in motion.</p><p>They taped a knife to the back of the changing rooms off of the beach and monitored it closely. Making sure no one would ruin his plan. That person of course, was Nagito. As this was happening, the party continued. However, at the party, the killer was being bullied and believed one of Hiyoko’s “jokes.” This joke was that the killer would die if they didn’t kill someone. Terrified, the killer went to the changing rooms to dress into something more suitable for getting wet. In doing so, Nagito pinged them. </p><p>During this, soda ran out and Byakuya and Akane went back to the Hotel to refill. As they were refilling, the killer finished dressing and snuck out of the party through a side path to go kill someone. That someone may have likely been Fuyuhiko as he was away from the group. Refilling the cooler was almost done and Akane stepped outside to take a knife she’d been hiding in her shoe.</p><p>The killer approached Akane and with one swipe, sliced Akane’s throat. In turn, Akane dropped the knife as she was stabbed more times. The killer, covered in blood, ran off and Akane fell into the pool which was heard by both Byakuya and Fuyuhiko. The killer was dripping with blood and snuck back into the changing rooms to avoid going through the front entrance. They snuck into the party and quickly dashed to the ocean to wash the blood off while Nagito wasn’t looking. The killer then rejoined the party and soon, Fuyuhiko came down to deliver us the news.</p><p>Isn’t that right… Mikan Tsumiki!?”</p><p>“That’s what happened… How about it? Did I get anything wrong?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Eep… I, I thought…” said Mikan, breaking into tears. “I thought I w-was going to die!”</p><p>“It seems… this is the end,” said Peko.</p><p>“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!”</p><p>“Well now, are we in agreement on voting? Or am I just gonna hear Mikan say “I’m sorry” for the next hour?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“I… guess we are,” said I.</p><p>“Woohoo! It’s nerve-wracking voting time! Now then, please pull the lever in front of you and cast your vote. Oh, just a reminder… Make triple sure you vote for someone! If you don’t vote… I’m gonna eat you up…”</p><p>“Ughhhh…! Wh-Why did this happen…!?” said Monomi, through tears.</p><p>“Who will be chosen as the blackened!? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!? Puhuhu! Such heart-pounding excitement!”</p><p>I selected Mikan’s icon and pulled my lever as did everyone else in the room. The bitter silence as everyone glanced at Mikan was heavy. I felt like they were staring at me…</p><p>Class Trial End<br/>ALL RISE</p><p>“Correct!” shouted Monokuma. “That’s right! This time, the blackened responsible for killing Akane Owari is Mikan Tsumiki!”</p><p>“I-I’m s-sorry…” said Mikan.</p><p>“A-Are you serious!? You meant to tell me this girl believed in a joke and acted on it?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Y-Yes…”</p><p>“But… WHYYYYYYYY!?!? WHY DID YOU KILL AKANE!?!?” shouted Nekomaru.</p><p>“I-I was scared! I’m sorry! *sob* I can’t…” Mikan then collapsed to the floor sobbing.</p><p>“What the fuck is wrong with you, Hiyoko!?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Me!? Am I responsible for this!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Yes… yes you are,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Y-You too, Mahiru!?”</p><p>“Yes, me too… You made an easy target believe that they were being hunted. I’ll still be your friend but… I can never forgive this.”</p><p>“Wuh, wuh… WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!” Hiyoko then proceeded to deliver crocodile tears.</p><p>“No one’s believing those false tears, wretch!” said Gundham.</p><p>“At this point, won’t it be better to just fucking kill her off!?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Definitely not,” said I.</p><p>“Kyaaaah! “Kill,” he said! High school students are sooooo violent these days!” said Monokuma. “But the person who’s gonna get killed now isn’t Hiyoko. It’s Mikan.” Mikan got to her knees and looked at the bear. “Puhuhu, you didn’t forget, right? Cuz I told you already at the beginning, right? If the blackened killer loses… a fun punishment awaits them.”</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait… Mikan did this in a fit of terror. Isn’t that not murder because it’s manslaughter or something?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter if it’s an accident, self-defense, or intentional, a murder is still a murder! If you kill someone, that’s murder! No sympathies, no extenuating circumstances, not even probation!”</p><p>“N-Not even probation!?!?” said Teruteru.</p><p>Mikan stood up, “U-Umm, excuse me but… what will this punishment consist of?” said Mikan.</p><p>“Your death! Well, that’s the blunt way of putting it… As for how you’ll go out, that’s a surprise and I don’t wanna spoil the surprise!” said Monokuma. “Now, are you ready, Mikan?”</p><p>“D-Do your worst…”</p><p>“That’s the intent!”</p><p>“I-I broke my oath… I deserve this…”</p><p>“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! It’s PUNISHMENT TIIIIIME!”</p><p>“D-Don’t blame yourself, Hiyoko. I did this to myself… I just hope you can all forgive me.”</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/>Mikan has been found guilty.<br/>Time for the punishment!<br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>As soon as Monokuma pressed a button, a claw came from behind a curtain and grabbed Mikan by the neck with such force, it ripped her clothes off. We were escorted into a room and it was a mezzanine for an operating theater. Mikan was on the operating table in a medical gown and covered in a cloth. She was also hooked up to equipment and oxygen. I could see her elevated heart rate.</p><p> </p><p>Ultimate Nurse, Mikan Tsumiki’s Execution:</p><p>SEDATIVE-LESS SURGERY</p><p> </p><p>Monokuma walked in the room wearing scrubs and wheeling in a cart covered in a cloth. Overtop the cloth was a medical tray with several objects on it. The collection was a big syringe, a scalpel, a hammer, a saw of both electrical and classic design, and a marker. Monokuma jumped on a stool and swiped at Mikan to remove the cloth and reveal her bare stomach. Monokuma took a marker from his tray and drew a smiley face on her stomach before throwing the marker across the room.</p><p>Monokuma took the scalpel and pressed it against Mikan’s stomach and she winced in pain. He continued to press it all the way up her sternum and revealed nearly her whole torso. He pulled back the skin and… we got a… *detailed* lesson in human anatomy. Mikan was screaming at this point and her heart rate was through the roof as Monokuma picked up the hammer and whacked it against her ribs, shattering them. He then dug through her body and picked out any shattered bones and haphazardly threw them around the operating room.</p><p>Next was the non-electric saw; I believe it’s called a bone saw. Monokuma took the saw and thrusted it into her liver. He let go of the saw and it stood on its own. Monokuma then grabbed the electric saw and tossed it into the air and tried to catch it. It promptly fell on the floor and he quickly dashed to the floor to pick it up. He then pointed at everyone in the gallery as if he was saying, “You didn’t see anything.” He put the saw to Mikan’s kidney and sawed them both in half before ripping them from her body in four pieces.</p><p>Mikan then flatlined and was now dead. Finally, we can stop looking at this…</p><p> </p><p>Until Monokuma grabbed the syringe and stabbed it into her. He pushed down the plunger and suddenly, Mikan was back in the land of the living, gasping for air. Monokuma then unveiled his secret tool with the removal of the cloth covering his cart: a chainsaw. He grabbed the chainsaw and jumped up on the table by Mikan’s legs and started it up. Mikan was pleading and begging until Monokuma drove the chainsaw into her intestines. He then drove the chainsaw up to a point right below her heart.</p><p>Monokuma then tossed the chainsaw to the floor and wiped blood from his face. Everything within an arm's reach was covered in blood and/or gore. With one final act, Monokuma reached into his scrub pocket and pulled out a cartoony heart that shared his color palette. He then ripped out Mikan’s heart and threw it in a trash can like he was throwing a basketball into a hoop. He put the cartoon heart in the spot where Mikan’s was and seemed content with himself. We then left the room with the last image on our minds being Mikan’s lifeless body.</p><p>“YAHOOOOOOOO!!! EXTREEEEEEEEEEEEEME!” shouted Monokuma upon reentering the courtroom.</p><p>“Kyaaaah!” said Monomi.</p><p>“Phew! The adrenaline is rushing through me!”</p><p>“M-Mikan!” yelled Teruteru.</p><p>“I-I think… I think I’m gonna… p-puke…” said Kazuichi, holding his gut.</p><p>“Ah...aaaahhhhh…!” said Ibuki right before passing out.</p><p>“Wh-Why…? Why did you do something so cruel?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Huh? Didn’t you learn when you were in elementary school? If you badmouth someone… The teacher writes it in a note, and makes whoever you bad mouthed read it to you in front of the class… When that happens, only then do you think about how it feels to be bad mouthed. The same applies to murder,” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Y-You’re the one who drove her to do it!” said Mahiru, pointing at Monokuma. Hiyoko seemed relieved by this action.</p><p>“If that is the case… did you have to carry it out like *that*!?!?” said I.</p><p>“Well, it can’t be helped. The blackened who receives punishment will receive punishment in any way I want. I have punishments all lined up for all of you should you break a rule. Even for poor Mikan I had one other punishment in store! I was gonna do a big syringe but… well, that’s not good for a first punishment now is it?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Wait, what rule?” said Hajime. “You’re the one who’s breaking the rules!”</p><p>“Huh? I can’t just let that slide…”</p><p>“When you mentioned the motive…  Didn’t you also promise something!? You promised school memories and you didn’t give them to Mikan!”</p><p>“Yeah… us too… We all have a right to know…!” said Fuyuhiko. “Hey! Hurry up and tell us! What did you mean earlier when you mentioned our “school memories”?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, I did promise to return your memories after the killing began…”</p><p>“Huh? You’re gonna do it? But… telling them is kind of…” said Monomi.</p><p>“But I never told you guys that I’d tell you right away.”</p><p>“Wha-?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“To put it in Mikan’s terms, that’s, “Not fair!”” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“C’mon, too soon…!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Of course, I’ll keep my promise to return your memories someday. But… it’s still not clear when that “someday” will actually be... “ said Monokuma. He then chuckled and left.</p><p>“U-Um…” said Monomi. “I must excuse myself as well! Th-There’s something that I need to do!”</p><p>“And they both ran away,” said I. “I’ll excuse Monomi from this because it honestly seemed like she was about to throw up.”</p><p>“An ending like this is just full of despair… A seriously tragic despair…” said Nagito. “But still… As the symbols of hope, you guys need to keep doing your best!”</p><p>“Hey, Nagito…”</p><p>“Yes, Byakuya?”</p><p>“Stop talking…”</p><p>“Thank you. Anyway, I have gripes with two of you now that I must address.”</p><p>“Oh boy, here we go…” said Fuyuhiko, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Nagito, if you make it through this, you are seeing a therapist or admitting yourself to an insane asylum. What you did tonight was stupid, but I can only commend you on the fact that it helped us find out the killer. Do not do anything like that again, do you hear me?”</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>“Good… Now, onto the second person, Hiyoko. Your actions tonight actually led to a murder and you should realize this.”</p><p>“B-But I didn’t kill her!”</p><p>“Yes, you didn’t, but you played a key role in the murder. Everyone in this room has every right to shame you for this… but they shall not!” As soon as I said that, everyone looked at me funny and even Ibuki woke up. “We have seen what bullying has led to and I don’t mean to sound like a PSA right now, but you are not bullying Hiyoko for the acts she has committed.”</p><p>“Hmph, that is sound logic. I can agree with that,” said Gundham. “But I cannot look at Hiyoko the same…”</p><p>“That is fine… I would also like to reiterate that I am stepping down from a leadership role as I have failed tonight in my duties. We can still meet at the Hotel everyday for breakfast and in the morning, you are welcome to vote on a new leader.”</p><p>“C’mon, you can still lead us!” said Hajime.</p><p>“I cannot. I can’t live with this murder I could’ve easily prevented if I was a little more cautious.”</p><p>“Well, if you step down, who’s gonna lead?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“There aren’t many options…” said Chiaki. “I’d have to say Sonia, Mahiru, or Hajime are fit enough for leadership.”</p><p>“Yeah! Miss Sonia!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Sadly not. I am merely a figurehead. I don’t have many leadership qualities.” said Sonia.</p><p>“As much as I’d gladly take the role of leader, I doubt the boys would get along with me,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Why did you pick me, Chiaki?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Mhmhm… I just thought you seemed okay. Y’know, blank slate…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Then it’s settled, pick one of those three or someone else and they’ll be the new leader. Now let’s go get some sleep… if we can actually get any that is,” said I.</p><p>We then left the courtroom, left Monokuma Rock and slowly walked back to our beds. I kept to the back of the group this time. I watched each person in front of me pass through the Hotel gates. When I went through myself, I saw Nekomaru standing over the pool. The pool was clean and Akane was nowhere to be found. I approached him…</p><p>“Are you okay, Nekomaru?” said I.</p><p>“Kinda… I’ve never had anyone I’ve been training die on me before. It’s… hitting me hard,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Well, you’re past the crying part of grieving at least…”</p><p>“Heh, at least that’s right. Hey, you ever had someone who cared for you die?” I can’t tell him the truth…</p><p>“No…”</p><p>“...Then I guess you’re just lucky. I’m gonna try to get some shut eye… maybe take a shit later too.”</p><p>“Oh, too much information… anyway, goodnight.”</p><p>“Goodnight…”</p><p>I walked to my cabin and slammed my door shut. I punched my wall and sat down on my bed. I sat in silence for a good minute or two before deciding to let sleep take me away. This has officially been the worst day of my life… But at least now, nothing worse can happen, right?</p><p> </p><p>CHAPTER 1:<br/>NO ONE ESCAPES DEATH<br/>END</p><p>14 Students Remain</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I'm officially done with Chapter 1. </p><p>Trial wise, I think I did pretty well, motive wise, at least it's better than wanting to live in a European castle. Hopefully I created some twists and turns as I don't really get the mystery I'm writing because I know what's happened. I also hope you all enjoyed the execution. They're just about as rough as that from this point forward. Would they get banned in Japan if they were in game? Yes. Do I care? No. I mentioned Mortal Kombat earlier, I'm giving you a Fatality.</p><p>Oh, and yes, I had to make a "Tell 'em" joke. I just had to, y'know...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CHAPTER 2:<br/>CRUEL LIMITS<br/>DAILY LIFE</p><p> </p><p>My eyes were open, but I was not awake. I didn’t feel like moving because of what I saw yesterday. Not only did I witness a murdered Akane, but I witnessed a brutalized Mikan. This weight of guilt prevented me from moving from the limits of my bed. I looked outside and noticed it was dark still. Was it morning, or did I wake up in the middle of the night?</p><p>My hearing slowly came back and came to one final conclusion: it was raining. I found that a little odd as well, we’re on a tropical island after all but, even though the chances of rain are low, they’re never zero. This rain added yet another depressive element to this miserable day.</p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong*</p><p>I guess it was morning after all, that's the announcement. I wonder what he was going to say instead of “beautiful, tropical day.”</p><p>“...beautiful, tropical day! Well, not really. It’s actually a miserable, tropical day full of rain! Anyway, if you’re the Wicked Witch of the West, there’s a raincoat hanging on the doorknob to your room. That is all!” said Monokuma before the television in my room turned off.</p><p>I think I’m ready to move now. Just then, a pain shot through my hand and I looked at my wall. Sure enough, there was a dent from last night and I know how to put two and two together. To think, if I showed this to Mikan, she may have said ice and hoped it wasn’t fractured. Last night happened so fast yet it felt like it’d never end…</p><p>I don’t need the raincoat so I’ll just leave. I walked to the Hotel and by the pool… I couldn’t look directly at it, so I continued inside the Hotel and up the stairs to the Restaurant. Sure enough, Teruteru was there and so was… Fuyuhiko? I didn’t expect him to be up here so early, he’s usually one of the last to arrive.</p><p>“Good morning…” said I. Teruteru nodded as he went back into the kitchen.</p><p>“It’s a bad fucking morning, but all right,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“On any other day besides this one, I’d correct you. But on this day, you are absolutely right. So, what are you doing here this early?”</p><p>“Why do you think? It’s because of what we fucking saw yesterday. I’ve seen some grim shit in my time but that, that tops it all. Hell, I’m surprised most of you didn’t break down on the spot at the sight of that shit!”</p><p>“Yeah… I’m surprised too...:”</p><p>Soon enough, everyone came, including Hajime holding last place.</p><p>“Ahh, Hajime… you’re already here… Good morning…” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Y-Yo…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>Then came dead silence. This rain surely isn’t helping the already gloomy atmosphere. </p><p>“Huuuh? You guys don’t look so good. Your faces all look like you just attended two funerals in a row,” said Hiyoko. I think I know who’s going to die next if they don’t know when to shut up.</p><p>“You shut up!” said Nekomaru, rising from his seat, furious.</p><p>“Aww, did I touch a nerve in the big bad wolf?”</p><p>“Alright, now I’ve had it!” Nekomaru then started charging towards Hiyoko.</p><p>“Hiyoko, please stop!” said Mahiru, blocking Nekomaru’s way.</p><p>“Oh c’mon, I understand about the big girl, but is there even a reason for us to be sad about pig-barf’s death?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Hiyoko, we need to talk…” said I.</p><p>“About what?”</p><p>“You!” said Mahiru. I nodded in confirmation.</p><p>“I expected Mr. Ham Hands, but you too, Mahiru!?”</p><p>“Yes, me too!”</p><p>“If you keep this up, Hiyoko, you will die,” said I.</p><p>“I-Is that a threat, Ham Hands!? I never would’ve expected that from you,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“It’s a warning, dumbass…” said Fuyuhiko, from his seat.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“I expect you to listen closely to what I’m about to say you spoiled brat, if you keep this up, I, or anyone in this room, will kill you.”</p><p>“Okay, now that's a threat! Fuyuhiko, do I have to teach you some manners!?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Oh, that’s cute. Listen honey, I’m not the one you should be teaching manners to. The one you should be teaching it to is that banana-haired preschooler over there before she gets herself iced.”</p><p>“B-But then you’ll have to go through the trial and you’ll die…” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“You know I can make people disappear, right?”</p><p>“What’s that supposed to mean!?”</p><p>“I think that means if your body is hidden…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Then no one can discover it. Therefore, no trial will occur because no one has found your body…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Is that a loop hole in the rules?” said Sonia.</p><p>“I do believe so…” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Interesting… That makes it so we can remove Hiyoko from this plane of existence without ever paying the price for it,” said Gundham. “I would test this theory but, it is too risky…”</p><p>“Nah, you should totally try it!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Please, let’s not do something like that…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“I… kinda agree,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Seeing as how Monokuma hasn’t shown up, I believe this is the truth,” said I. “Since we’re talking about the rules here, he’d show up if we were incorrect about them. This means that you really need to get your act together, Hiyoko, lest you face the consequences. I think Mahiru here would be a good person to hang around.”</p><p>“Please, Hiyoko, don’t do this to yourself…” said Mahiru.</p><p>“...Ububbbub, uhhh…” said Hiyoko, tears beginning to form.</p><p>“Hiyoko…?”</p><p>Hiyoko then sprinted out of the Restaurant. I can assume she was crying, we did just openly say that she could die and her body could never be discovered.</p><p>“I’m gonna go get her…” </p><p>“Wait! You must vote on a new leader,” said I.</p><p>“*sigh* You, okay!? No one wants anyone else besides you!” Mahiru then chased after Hiyoko.</p><p>“Okay… that’s one vote for me… anyone else?”</p><p>“Byakuya, no one wants anyone else besides you to be the leader,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Is… Is this true?” Everyone looked at me and nodded. “Then, I… I shall accept…”</p><p>Monokuma then showed up, “Is now a good time to show up?”</p><p>“It’s never a good time when it’s you…”</p><p>“Oh I know that already… Anyway, yes you were all right about that little exploit in the rules and, on a side note, has anyone seen one of my Monobeasts?”</p><p>“You… lost one of them?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Eh, you guys know nothing… Imma go back to watching cat videos!” Then Monokuma left.</p><p>“So that’s what he does all the time,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>Monomi then appeared, “Is now a good time to show up?”</p><p>“No,” said I.</p><p>“Well, I defeated a Monobeast for you and released the bridge gate. You can go to another island now!” </p><p>“Thanks for the info, now leave.”</p><p>“O-Okay…” Then she left.</p><p>“If the gate is open… that means we can go to the new island across the bridge, right?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Makes sense… but you’ll probably get drenched if you went out in the rain,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“We were supplied with raincoats after all,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Then I guess we have an island to explore. I’ll go tell Mahiru and Hiyoko because exploring the new island is an order!” said I.</p><p>“And just like that, it’s like he never left the leadership role,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Hmph…” With that, everyone quickly left except Teruteru.</p><p>“Why are you still here?” said I.</p><p>“Oh! I’m cooking up some oxtail soup for all of us later, gotta make sure everything’s alright so I can let it simmer,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“That’s acceptable. When you are finished, I implore that you go to the new island.” I then left.</p><p>Hmm, maybe that raincoat wouldn’t be such a bad idea to wear now. I’ll get it after I see to Mahiru and Hiyoko. Hiyoko ran off so I can assume she’s in her own cabin. I bet Mahiru is there too. I walked up to Hiyoko’s door and knocked.</p><p>“Hello? Hiyoko? Mahiru?” said I.</p><p>Mahiru opened the door, “I swear if you’ve come to- Oh, Byakuya, it’s you…” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Is Hiyoko in there?”</p><p>“Yes, she’s just taking a shower. Turns out she doesn’t know how to tie a kimono and that’s the reason why she’s been reluctant to take one. What do you need?”</p><p>“I’ve come to inform the both of you that a new island has opened up. Everyone should be there exploring.”</p><p>“Really…? Sorry but… I have to stay with Hiyoko.”</p><p>“After seeing what happened this morning, I understand. If you two do decide to come, bring a raincoat.”</p><p>“Alright… thanks.” Then Mahiru closed the door.</p><p>I quickly popped in my cabin to get my raincoat and went out in search of this secondary island. I eventually found the bridge leading to it and sure enough, one of the Monobeasts was gone. I walked over the rain-soaked wood to the new island and it felt different from the first island with the Hotel. Instead of heading left towards what looked like ancient ruins, I went right. The first stop was an American-looking diner. It just had “Diner” on it and a big sign outside just had “BURGER” rotating around it. If I know any better, I’d say that this Diner is a little suspicious.</p><p>I walked inside and found only Fuyuhiko sitting in a booth.</p><p>“Oh… it’s the fat bastard. What do you want?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Just exploring the new island… you?”</p><p>“What does it look like I’m doing!? I’m trying to eat right now, dumbass!” Sure enough, I somehow failed to notice a hamburger and side of fries in front of him. I guess he didn’t eat Teruteru’s food.</p><p>“Did you make that?”</p><p>“Nah, I found this place and now I’m eating because I’m hungry.”</p><p>“Did you make that yourself or find it?”</p><p>“Why the Hell you askin’ so many questions!?”</p><p>“...To make sure you didn’t eat something that was probably weeks old.”</p><p>“I cooked it. Mystery solved! You happy now? So… get the fuck out of here and go somewhere else.”</p><p>“...I must check the kitchen first.” </p><p>Well… it’s a kitchen. It’s a little different because of the open window into the dining area and the grills are different but besides that, it’s no different than the one at the Restaurant. I walked back into the dining area and possibly made the stupid decision of talking to Fuyuhiko again.</p><p>“Wait, why do you appear to be avoiding the group?” I asked.</p><p>“Hmph… I’m not avoiding you bastards… I’ve just decided not to rely on anyone,” He responded. </p><p>“What does that mean?”</p><p>“That includes the Kuzuryu Clan… I can survive without relying on them…”</p><p>“You didn’t answer my question but… you’re a yakuza who doesn’t want to rely on his family?”</p><p>“It’s not entirely like that. I’m the next in line to leading the clan but I just want to prove I’ve earned it. Prove I can tough it on my own without relying on my clan.”</p><p>“Ah, I see. Prove thyself, correct?”</p><p>“Yes. Plus… even if I fail, the clan will still be around. My little sister would be happy to lead it… Wait, why the fuck am I telling you any of this!?”</p><p>“I don’t… know. But with what was said, why were you here this morning?”</p><p>“I know I don’t intend to spend time with you guys but after what I saw happen to Mikan and knowing you guys were watching it too, I had to tell Hiyoko what’s what. I’ve seen too many fools get killed before they get smart.”</p><p>“I see… Even if you are a hard to approach man, Fuyuhiko, you are a noble and wise one. I may or may not see you later.” Then I left. I highly doubt that kid is going to kill anyone, though I’m glad he didn’t bring it up that he could, “do it.” He can’t scare me like that and I think he knows it.</p><p>While standing in the parking lot of the Diner, I noticed a tunnel and a sign reading, “Chandler Beach.” I guess it’s another beach. I walked down the tunnel and met the back of what I think is a beach house. Ibuki was also coming around the corner.</p><p>“*Gasp* Big man!” yelled Ibuki.</p><p>“Uhh… skinny… woman…” said I in response.</p><p>“Hug!” The Ibuki hugged me.</p><p>“Do not… hug me!”</p><p>“Sorry, Byakuya! But at least I now know that you’re amazing at giving hugs. Your fat is as soft as a pillow!”</p><p>“Thanks…?”</p><p>“Anyway, Ibuki saw a Diner on the way here and thought that a burger sounds great! A mountain of twenty burgers will be stacked with layed in between cheese and it will be called, “Girth!”</p><p>“Interesting… Is there anything here, Ibuki?”</p><p>“Uhh… there’s this big beach house right here and a big beach to accomy it. Ibuki also saw Nekomaru on it!”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Ibuki’ll see you later, Byakuya. Now, here’s to hoping Ibuki remembers how to properly cook a burger!” Then she left through the tunnel.</p><p>I didn’t tell her about Fuyuhiko… Well, better to get yelled at by him than get food poisoning. I walked into a back door on the beach house and was met with a decadent, open room with a lavish chandelier and expensive flooring and walls… then there was Kazuichi, standing in the center of it like a mustard stain on a two thousand dollar suit.</p><p>“Hey, Byakuya! Does this room feel more your style?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Indeed it does, though I’d like a rug in this room and a proper seating area rather than just a chair and table and a stone bench across the room from that. Also, a bookshelf,” said I.</p><p>“Still doesn’t please you, huh? Anyway, the shower is out of order, but the ambience is nice… and the fridge is fully stocked with drinks… Hehe, plus the beach outside feels so private. It’s awesome! Compared to urban seas that are full of trash and debris, this place is completely different!”</p><p>“Anywhere we go is a private beach since we’re the only ones here.”</p><p>“Hey hey! ...Don’t shatter my dreams like that! Anyway, that door with the sign leads to the non-working bathroom and those doors lead to a closet. Besides that, there’s a door leading to the beach and Nekomaru.”</p><p>“How is Nekomaru?”</p><p>“I don’t know, man, but he’s been there standing ever since I got here. He’s taking Akane’s death badly. I don’t dare approach him.”</p><p>“Hmph, I will…”</p><p>“Alright, good luck…”</p><p>Walking through a glass door, I saw Nekomaru facing the ocean while the rain fell. Normally, this would be a very dramatic and sad scene however, the drama was undermined by the bright, goofy, yellow jacket he was wearing.</p><p>“Nekomaru?” I said as I got closer. He only faced the sky. “Nekomaru, are you okay?”</p><p>“...Yeah,” said the giant. “She would’ve loved this beach… always enjoyed fighting in new locations…”</p><p>“Have you found anything?”</p><p>“Nope… Though at least I’ve stopped crying…” He brought his head down to show it was soaked in rainwater. His face was bright red.</p><p>“...You were crying and using the rain to try and conceal it, weren’t you?”</p><p>“...Yeah, it didn’t work though.” He wiped his face with both hands.</p><p>“Do you think it’s not okay to cry?” He gave me silence. “Or was it Hiyoko?”</p><p>“Both…”</p><p>“Boys are allowed to cry and you shouldn’t let how abrasive Hiyoko is get to your head.”</p><p>“*sigh* What’s with this world and thinking that men are breaking the rules when they cry?”</p><p>“I don’t kn-”</p><p>Monokuma appeared holding… AN M60!?</p><p>“What the…!?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Did someone say someone broke the rules!? Where’s the rule breaker!? I’ll beat the crap out of them, no questions asked!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“W-Where did you get an M60!?” said I.</p><p>“*huff puff* ...I dunno… I just kinda found it lying around, y’know… Rule breakers will be shot to death… That’s just common sense!”</p><p>“I’d hate to see where you come from that calls that, “common sense,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Ugh… I wanna shoot something… I know I’m not allowed to… but I really wanna shoot something right now!”</p><p>“Well, if you’re gonna do it, make sure to tie a red bandana around your head and yell while you shoot!” Nekomaru said that in a tone that wasn’t sad for once.</p><p>“I have Iron Will… Enduring this urge… will be done… no matter the cost...by Any Means Necessary… until the day someone breaks the rules!” </p><p>“You worded that… strangely,” said I.</p><p>“Oh… that’s just three references that no one’s gonna understand…” Then Monokuma left.</p><p>“Him and that rabbit are annoying.”</p><p>“Well, at least he kinda killed my sad mood,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Hmph… at least. Anyway, I have to check on the others, I’ll see you later.”</p><p>“Alright, leader, bye!”</p><p>I left through the tunnel and through the parking lot to see what was next. It was… a pharmacy… I guess Mikan will still haunt me in new ways… I walked in and found Nagito and Teruteru among the many, many drugs, ointments, compresses, bandages, and detergents...</p><p>“Hey, Byakuya. Checking everything out like I’d expect the Ultimate Affluent Progeny to be doing?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Yes… Anything out of the ordinary here?”</p><p>“Nope. This is just a drugstore full of drugs. They have a wide selection of over the counter medicine here…”</p><p>“And things you really shouldn’t be selling over the counter like penicillin and antipsychotics!” Teruteru chimed in. </p><p>“What brings you here, Teruteru?” said I.</p><p>“Cooking is dirty business even if you’re the best of the best. I’m just selecting what kind of detergent I want while the soup simmers.”</p><p>“And I’m here for some medicine,” said Nagito. Well, at least the psycho is getting his meds. “While searching, I found this box labeled, “Chemotherapy Pill.”</p><p>He brought out the box and dropped another one from his pocket which he picked up fast and I read “Olanzapine” right before he got to it. The box he handed me was yellow, red, and black and said that it’ll cure cancer and it’s, “Chemotherapy in a pill!” The box was heavy so I can only assume it’s leaded. If the cover is to be believed, these pills are bright yellow and have a black nuclear symbol on it. I can’t tell if this is a joke or not, but I’m not risking radiation poisoning.</p><p>“Is it… safe to consume this?” said I.</p><p>“Probably not… so don’t open it,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“I’m with him on this,” said Nagito, grabbing back the box and putting it on the shelf. Teruteru walked away and Nagito leaned in. “Did you see what the box I dropped read?”</p><p>“...Yes,” said I.</p><p>“Please don’t tell anyone…”</p><p>“Your secret is in good hands.”</p><p>“Thanks, Byakuya…”</p><p>“I’m going to go check on everyone else, okay?”</p><p>“Okay…”</p><p>Leaving the Pharmacy and back into the rain, I passed by Hajime on my way to the next location.</p><p>“Hajime…” said I.</p><p>“Byakuya…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Have you found anything?”</p><p>“Not really. Down there’s a Library and further down is Ancient Ruins. I think those Ruins may be something. I’m gonna check them out later, I did see Chiaki around there.”</p><p>“I just came from a Pharmacy, a Diner, and a private beach. There’s six people down there and be careful, Fuyuhiko is in the Diner and he’s a little angry.”</p><p>“When is he not?”</p><p>“That rings true… I’ll keep moving forward, see you later.”</p><p>“You too…”</p><p>Leaving Hajime, I eventually found the Library he talked about. I walked in and was greeted to a big room with mezzanines leading up. This place was four floors in total and a lesser mind may say this place is overwhelming. Although, the chandelier in the room seemed a little small for how big the room is, but it was bigger than the one I saw at the Beach House. Besides books and tables and chairs, I saw Peko meditating, Sonia reading, demolished Usami statues, and Monokuma statues. I approached Sonia.</p><p>“I am surprised!” said Sonia, closing her book. “I never expected to find such a splendid facility. It rivals even my homeland’s national library…”</p><p>“It is nice to know that there’s another person here who respects books,” said I.</p><p>“Ahh! I know the importance of books too!”</p><p>Monomi appeared… “Tadaaaa! Monomi is here! I’m reading a book! Ah, since you’ve come here, would you like me to explain this library to you?”</p><p>“What are we, four? We know how a library works,” said I.</p><p>“Oh… um… I was more energetic than usual… I feel even emptier now…”</p><p>“Well, I’d like to hear your explanation,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Well, you’re all basically students, right? I was thinking you needed a place where you can do homework… Soooo, I have prepared this library!” said Monomi.</p><p>“Explanation over, now leave,” said I.</p><p>“O-Oh… O-Okay…” Then Monomi left.</p><p>“I think you may be a little too hard on Monomi,” said Sonia.</p><p>“I don’t care for that rabbit. I’d prefer the murder bear over the rabbit any day,” said I.</p><p>“I cannot believe that she is the one who prepared this grand facility.”</p><p>“She's probably lying.”</p><p>“Oh, I found a guide book to Jabberwock Island!”</p><p>“Splendid, let me see it!” She handed me the brochure.</p><p>“What language is this? Can you read it?”</p><p>“Yes I can. I am fluent in over thirty languages as required by all members of the royal family. Hmm… actually, this is what you told us in Jabberwock Park when we first got here I believe.”</p><p>“Hmph, was I correct?”</p><p>“Yes… “Jabberwock Island consists of a small central island surrounded by five other islands. The outer islands were developed as resorts, while the central island houses a large administrative building.””</p><p>“Hold it. The central island is a park, it doesn’t have a building on it.”</p><p>“That is… strange. It says here that a bronze statue was in the lobby of the building.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s probably the statute that turned into the Monobeasts and that display was huge, I’d doubt it’d fit in a lobby.”</p><p>“It gets worse. According to this guide book, the only way to travel between the five islands is by boat… They even mention that they didn’t build bridges for environmental issues.”</p><p>“Then how did five bridges suddenly get constructed and a building suddenly get turned into a park?”</p><p>“There’s a possibility that this place is an artificial island like Palm Jumeirah…”</p><p>“Hmm, that’s actually plausible. That may also be why we’re the only ones here.”</p><p>“...Well, something as big as Jabberwock Island would be impossible anyway. No island of this size could be completely artificial.”</p><p>“That may be true, but I believe that the organization behind this did everything.”</p><p>“Ahh I almost forgot your talk of an organization.”</p><p>“Well… even under speculation and unknowns, this is still valuable to share with the group, good find, Sonia.”</p><p>“Thank you, Byakuya.” I left Sonia and walked towards Peko before hesitating. She was meditating and I don’t think disturbing her would be a good idea. </p><p>But as I turned to step away, I heard Peko say, “I have found nothing of interest that will help us escape this island.</p><p>“...Thank you,” I replied.</p><p>I exited the Library to be greeted by Nagito.</p><p>“Hey, Byakuya, Chiaki wants everyone to head to those ancient ruins on the island,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll be there shortly.”</p><p>I was going there anyway so, I guess I’m coming either way. I was the third to arrive behind Nekomaru and Kazuichi. The ruins itself were massive. Trees of different sizes were growing out of the different floors of the building and the building itself appeared to be six or so floors tall. At first glance, it seemed like any old ancient ruins but there was a big vault door on the entrance to the place. Soon enough, everyone arrived in yellow raincoats, everyone except Gundham.</p><p>“What the heck is this…? Such a gigantic building,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“However, it is clearly faded… It looks like an ancient ruin,” said Sonia.</p><p>“It seems… Perhaps this is an actual ancient ruin?” said Peko.</p><p>“H-How should I say this… Don’t you think this building… resembles a school?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Hmm… I now see what you mean, it does seem to resemble a school,” said I. “Wait… it looks like… Hope’s Peak Academy!”</p><p>“I doubt it really is Hope’s Peak, but the resemblance is uncanny,” said Nagito.</p><p>“There is something indeed fishy going on here… On a side note, where is Gundham?”</p><p>“I… don’t actually know. I passed him on the way to the Diner but I never saw him since,” said Hajime. “Come to think of it, he wasn’t wearing a raincoat.”</p><p>“That idiot’s gonna catch a cold out here! Who does he think he is?” said Mahiru.</p><p>Hiyoko began to say something, but stopped it.</p><p>“We’ll look for Gundham after we’ve heard what Chiaki has to say. So, Chiaki, what is it?” said I.</p><p>“Well… it’s just a building like this… It’s like it doesn’t belong on this island in this state. It’s like… a comic book originally about baseball becoming a side-scrolling action game… It’s unnatural like that,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“I… kinda follow.”</p><p>“Just… let’s start with the door.”</p><p>“The door that looks like it’s holding a vault of gold behind it?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with this door? Can you go inside?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Before we go inside… Let’s try brushing off some of this dust and clearing some of these root things off the door.” It then came to my attention what was around the door.</p><p>“Wait! Is that a minigun pointing right at the door?” said I.</p><p>“Oh shit, yeah,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“It even looks like it’s in good condition unlike the rest of the building,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Clean the door off… carefully…” said I. </p><p>Cleaning the dust and vines revealed a futuristic vault door with a keypad that was still functioning. In big letters it said, “Future Foundation” on the door.</p><p>“”Future Foundation”” said I.</p><p>“What on Earth does that mean?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Beats me! But at least it’s in Japanese so you know it ain’t foreign!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Hey, who cares about a symbol on the door!?” said Fuyuhiko. “More importantly… how do you open it? What’s inside?”</p><p>“There is a keypad on the door and it’s linked to a… five digit password,” said I.</p><p>“Sweet! Five digits are easy to guess even if it may be time consuming,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Wait, something tells me the minigun on the wall is linked to the keypad.”</p><p>“Oh… and it’ll… shoot anyone who guesses the wrong password…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Ah, that’s what I’m thinking too…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Then I think it’s best we leave it alone,” said I.</p><p>“I guess this place will have to be ignored until a clear and defined five digit code is revealed to us,” said Hajime.</p><p>“I-It can’t be helped… Looks like… it’s better if we don’t mess with it… for now…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Even if we can’t breach the perimeter, it’s clear that this place is of some importance. It does stick out like a sore thumb…” said I.</p><p>Monomi popped out, “Umm…”</p><p>Monokuma popped out, “Umm…”</p><p>“You’re both quiet?” said Peko.</p><p>“Well now, I guess this building is highly important if the two stuffed animals are speechless,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“I… I don’t know what this is…” said Monomi.</p><p>“Me neither…” said Monokuma.</p><p>“There’s no way you guys don’t know! Don’t just show up and tell some lousy lies!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“You guys are probably the same ones who covered the door in dust,” said Hiyoko from behind Mahiru’s back.</p><p>“Is it possible that… there is a connection between this door and the reason this island is uninhabited?” said Nekomaru. “For example, this place might be a shelter, and there might be natives inside.”</p><p>“That theory is plausible but what would make them hide in a fortified shelter?” said I.</p><p>“Hmmm, several possibilities cross my mind,” said Monokuma.</p><p>“*sigh* And I was just beginning to forget you were here…”</p><p>“But it looks like there’s no way to confirm it yet. That door is really sturdy. But… not in a material sense. More essential than that.”</p><p>“Yeah… Wait, what?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“For instance… even though Monomi and I can come and go as we please, we can’t enter what’s beyond that door.”</p><p>“Huh? You can’t go inside, too? Does that mean you’re the same as me and-” said Monomi before getting shut down by Monokuma saying, “Heeeey! Keep your tongue in your mouth!” He then fired a laser at Monomi who said, “My body can’t handle a supersonic meteor rush like that!” I hate these two so much that I can’t find the exact words to describe how much I want to throw a chair at them.</p><p>“There… now that I’ve shut up my sister with a fantastic Pegasus Meteor Fist… This is the mystery of Jabberwock Island. A mystery that even Monomi and I can’t solve. That’s why I have high expectations for you guys! One day, you’ll be able to solve that mystery!”</p><p>“Hmm… you said a while ago that you were surprised when you saw that there were sixteen of us here instead of fifteen. You also mentioned that there was probably a traitor among us that you didn’t even know of,” said I.</p><p>“Exactly, we just gotta remember what this monochromatic tanuki said,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Y-Yeah, I remember the ugly tanuki saying that before,” said Hiyoko, kinda moving away from Mahiru.</p><p>“Ahhhhaahaha! Calling me ugly and a tanuki… Those kinds of silly names don’t depress me in the slightest! In that way, I am like Byakuya!” said Monokuma. That casts suspicion on me. Bravo, Monokuma, bravo…</p><p>“He’s totally depressed!” said Ibuki. Well, good attempt, Monokuma.</p><p>“If there’s a traitor, they probably know how to open the door, right?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Indeed they would. There’s probably ways to escape and/or contact help in there,” said I.</p><p>“Or… maybe whoever’s controlling Monokuma and Monomi is hiding there!”</p><p>“If those two stuffed animals can’t enter the building, I highly doubt whoever’s controlling them is in there. If Monokuma is damaged in some way, he’d need to get repaired and he can’t enter the most secure building here. I doubt the person or organization would risk one of us coming across Monokuma mid-repair.”</p><p>“I agree. Even if you seemingly repaired Monokuma or Monomi, they seem to be very complex machines,” said Kazuichi. “You’d need a lot of downtime to make sure they’re up and running like new.”</p><p>“That’s one question down and now we have one left. Is there really a traitor among us?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Of course there is! Who the hell is it!? Hurry up and confess!” said Fuyuhiko. I don’t he understands how a traitor in hiding works.</p><p>“Th-There isn’t… There’s no traitor… anywhere!” said Monomi.</p><p>“Monokuma… what about you? You’re the one who mentioned it…”</p><p>“Puhuhuhuhuhuhu!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“What’re you laughing at…?” said Peko.</p><p>“Oh, just… Have you guys heard of an organization called World Ender?”</p><p>“...World Ender?” said Hajime.</p><p>“I-I’m the one asking you a question! Don’t just change the subject!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“I understand why you’d want to just ignore it… World Ender is such an embarrassing name. It’s almost as boring as calling your team, “Noble Six,” or, “FoxHound.” But the name is unavoidable because that organization actually exists!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“So what is this… organization?” said Peko.</p><p>“It’s literally what it says… Those guys ended the world! ...That’s not an overstatement or a metaphor, you know. Those guys really did end the world. So don’t you think it’s appropriate to call them World Ender?”</p><p>“You mean… they’re a terrorist organization…?” </p><p>“Terrorist, huh… That might be accurate. But only losers are terrorists. If they manage to win, they become heroes. In that sense… they’re more like heroes. They’re the heroes who ended the world!”</p><p>“S-So what? Don’t say things that don’t make sense!” said Mahiru. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna say this organization is the one putting us through all this crap…?”</p><p>“World Ender… Are you saying that you and Monomi… are also members of that organization?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Who knows? The only thing I can tell you is… The organization that the traitor is working for, the ones who brought you to this island… World Ender is behind it all,” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Give… give me time to think on this…” said I.</p><p>“Wh-Why are we being targeted by a h-horrifying organization like that!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Don’t panic… It’s just another made up story to trick us, like when he said we lost our school memories,” said Peko. “I can’t suspend my disbelief for something as ridiculous as “World Ender”... There’s no way that organization… or the traitor exists!”</p><p>“*sigh* Alright, bear, rabbit, go crawl back into your caves and give us alone time…” said I.</p><p>“Aww, is the big, bad man scared of the small, devious bear?” </p><p>“No… I’m just tired of hearing you talk. Do you like listening to yourself? If I had a voice like that, I’d shut up.”</p><p>“Wha- Why you! *sigh* Fine…! C’mon, Monomi, we aren’t wanted anymore…”</p><p>“Nice job telling Monokuma off like that, Byaku-” said Monomi. I gave her a mean stare and cut her sentence off short. She then followed Monokuma and disappeared with him.</p><p>“We’ll talk more on this back at the Hotel. Hiyoko, Hajime, you’re helping me find Gundham,” said I.</p><p>“Wh-Why me!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“...Because I said so.”</p><p>“Augh… fine…”</p><p>“Rest of you can get out of this rain.”</p><p>The rest left leaving me with two raincoat wearing students of varying height. One had a neutral expression while the other was probably of annoyance.</p><p>“Where should we start looking?” said Hajime.</p><p>“For now, Hajime, you can go away and start yelling his name. I have something important to tell Hiyoko.”</p><p>“Ok…” And then Hajime wandered into the rain.</p><p>“*sigh* Look, I know what we did back at the Hotel was absolutely uncalled for but you needed a heads-up.”</p><p>“Oh… is this what this is about?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Yes… because of your actions in the death of Akane and Mikan, everyone but me, Mahiru, and possibly Hajime and Chiaki don’t hate you. Everyone else would probably want to see you gone.”</p><p>“Wait… you don’t hate me?”</p><p>“I dislike some people on this island, but I don’t hate them. At the core, I do care for all of them as I am their leader.”</p><p>“Ugh, I thought you were gonna get through one speech without mentioning “leader.” You’re just as annoying as my last name.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with your last name?” I said as I motioned her to walk with me.</p><p>“I hate my last name! Everyone who shares my last name… eventually dies a crazy death! It can’t be helped anyway ‘cause chosen bloodlines are always targeted by conspiracies and assassinations and stuff… Not that you’d understand.”</p><p>“Togami, Tanaka, Kuzuryu, and Nevermind. There are at least four other people here with bloodlines that they can’t change, although Gundham's “Tanaka Empire” may be a little… dubious. Saionji is just another weighted bloodline.”</p><p>“I guess you’re right… life isn’t supposed to be easy… Hey, is that Gundham?”</p><p>Sure enough there was a figure with a yellow coat on and one without one. As they got closer, I was able to make out Hajime and a very drenched Gundham.</p><p>“Did you fall into the sea or something!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Hmm… it’s an uneasy story, at least, for me who understands it better it is,” said Gundham.</p><p>“So, what were you doing all this time?” said I.</p><p>“I went to the shore to summon the great World Spirit or Jörmungandr. However, I did everything correctly and the beast did not show. I’ve done it before and it knows me well… everything should’ve worked!”</p><p>“What were you even planning to do with a large snake?”</p><p>“To bring Ragnarök down on Monokuma and escape this island! But why didn’t it work!? It always responds to me!”</p><p>“We can talk about that later. In a group, we talked about those Ruins over there and what might be behind that door.”</p><p>“Hmm, yes, I suppose I will need to be filled in on what words left your mouths. But first, my Dark Devas are very wet and do not want to be on me right now. Does anyone here have the power to hold them?”</p><p>His hamsters exited his scarf and jumped around. Two jumped into Hajime’s coat, one jumped in mine, and Hiyoko wasn’t thrilled about the fourth one jumping into hers.</p><p>“Ahhh, get this rat off me!!” screamed Hiyoko.</p><p>“Jump-P, stop!” Sure enough, he scurried beside her neck and stopped.<br/>“Sun-D, Maga-G, Cham-P, show yourselves!” shouted Gundham. The rest of the hamsters came out and rested by our necks. “Interesting, Hajime… Two Devas enjoy your company… Your Ultimate talent must be something very powerful!” </p><p>“What about the others?”</p><p>“Hmm, Saionji and Togami, very powerful bloodlines. That must be why they enjoy your companies as well.” I didn’t think the talk I had with Hiyoko would’ve been confirmed by hamsters.</p><p>“Alright, let’s meet the rest of us in the Hotel. More importantly, let’s get out of this rain!” said I.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whew, that was a lot. This chapter was 21 pages worth. I tried to crank out the boring parts of exploring a new island and somehow accidentally wrote 21 pages worth of content.</p><p>Oh yeah, I also made it rain which is something absent from the game. I thought that it'd be neat to make it rain and explore new things with that.</p><p>Anyway, it's 3AM...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I think it was around six, it’s hard to tell when it has been dark out since morning, but you could see the sun rays trying ever so hard to peek through the clouds towards the western horizon. Some time had passed since I got me and the rest back to the Hotel.</p><p>Teruteru's oxtail was a hit with everyone and I actually think it brightened everyone’s days. Even if I would hesitate to check his browser history, he sure knows how to cook. Gundham, now in dry clothing, was eating the soup laid before as were the rest of the class.. and it was humorous to look at his four hamsters' attempt to eat bone marrow. Nagito hadn’t said anything weird in the past hour, Chiaki was beginning to talk with more and more people, Hiyoko hasn’t insulted anyone since she got here, and Nekomaru actually looked happy for once. I took a final glance at Teruteru as I went to put an empty bowl in the kitchen sink and saw an ear to ear smile. Now that’s a man who’s proud of what he’s done.</p><p>“*Ahem*” said I as everyone was beginning to finish up, “Gundham, have you been drilled in on our situation?”</p><p>“Indeed, I know of these Ruins and the things Monokuma has said about them,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Alright… Everyone currently knows our situation?” Everyone nodded.</p><p>“Yes!” said Sonia, loudly. She got strange looks and Kazuichi came to defend her from their gazes.</p><p>“...Anyway, I suggest we ignore the Ruins and get more info on them especially since that minigun by the door is off putting to say the least. Even if you have perfect luck, Nagito, don’t make any attempt to guess the password until we find one and are one hundred sure it is the correct password.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about me. I’m not touching that keypad with a ten foot pole,” said Nagito.</p><p>“We also have two names, Future Foundation and World Ender. Whether or not those two are the same group or not is up for debate and we don’t even know if these groups actually exist or not. We don’t even know if that’s their true names… Then there’s the traitor…”</p><p>“Is there actually a traitor among us, Byakuya?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“That… I cannot answer but seeing how Monokuma noticed an extra student probably means that they aren’t working for him.”</p><p>“You make a fair point. It could be considered that this traitor isn’t actually working against us,” said Peko.</p><p>“C’mon, traitor is in the name. The traitor is probably working for Monokuma or that World Ender group!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Hmm, perhaps “traitor” is a misplaced word. Maybe “guardian” is a better suited title but until we figure out this person’s motives, we cannot be sure,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Wow! That is a wonderful thought, Gundham!” said Sonia.</p><p>“Again!? C’mon why does he always have to impress Sonia!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Just… stop trying…” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Aww shuddup you little-”</p><p>“Soda! ...Quiet,” said I as he stopped his thought.</p><p>“Hey, since you wanna be the leader, how do we know that you’re not this traitor?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Because I offered up the role upon exiting the class trial. No one took it which is the reason I’m leaning towards this traitor being more of a guardian.”</p><p>“Tch…” Fuyuhiko then sat right back down and whispered something to Peko.</p><p>“Ugh, we’ve traveled to this new island looking for answers and all we got was more mysteries…” said Hajime.</p><p>“That… is true. With nothing left to talk about, this meeting is over and I’ll see you all tomorrow unless Monokuma wants to do something “fun” tonight.”</p><p>I watched everyone exit slowly and soon it was just me and Teruteru. Teruteru was still cleaning up bowls and humming a tune.</p><p>“So,” said Teruteru, approaching me, “was it good?”</p><p>“It was outstanding as always, Teruteru. I even saw you with a big grin on your face.”</p><p>“That’s what I love about cooking! The faces, the satisfaction, it makes me semi-hard just thinking about it!”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“Too much information…?”</p><p>“Definitely…”</p><p>“Heh… heh… sorry about that…”</p><p>“Here’s a challenge for you as long as you breathe; go one day without a sexual innuendo or reference to you or someone else’s genitals…”</p><p>“And then…?”</p><p>“Make it a week, then make it a month, then make it a year, then make sure you never make one again.”</p><p>“...A-Alright.”</p><p>Leaving Teruteru with that, I returned to my cabin as the rain began to ease up. Reasonably enough, everyone was in their cabins as well. Eventually, the nightly announcement was made and I went to bed with no disturbances.</p><p>And so, the next day began with me going to the Hotel, greeting Teruteru, and hearing the morning announcement.</p><p>I watched some people pile in and soon, they began talking about this traitor and World Ender again. Although, I did begin to see a pattern and if left untouched, a rift could begin in the group. Chiaki and Mahiru were firm on it being a guardian while Hiyoko and Peko were leaning more towards traitor. Everyone else was basically on the fence except for the two who weren’t here, Fuyuhiko and Hajime… but soon, Hajime arrived at least.</p><p>“Hey, you came at the right time. What do you think, Hajime?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Think about what?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Argh! Isn’t it obvious? That stuff he said about a traitor and World Ender! I’m asking you for your thoughts on the matter!”</p><p>“After one night’s sleep… there’s no way I’d suddenly come to any conclusions that weren’t found out yesterday.”</p><p>“Well, that’s obvious… The same goes for me too, but I believe this hidden person is here to help,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“I didn’t get enough sleep last night because of that baffling nonsense… though if there is a traitor, I will not hesitate to subdue them,” said Peko.</p><p>“C’mon, guys… There can’t really be a traitor among us. No Ultimate would do something as hopeless as betraying the group,” said Nagito.</p><p>“I’m with Nagito on this! Don’t worry about this traitor at all!” said Nekomaru back in a boisterous tone.</p><p>“...And that’s exactly what I’m trying to screw into your heads,” said I. “If you spend your time here thinking about a traitor, you’ll drive yourselves mad, but a guardian is something you don’t lose sleep over.”</p><p>“But what if this is the worst-case scenario and our mysterious member is here to destroy us all?” said Gundham.</p><p>“Then prepare for it and nothing else. You can prepare for a traitor, but you must hope for an ally.”</p><p>“Hmm… sound logic, Byakuya.”</p><p>“Then what about Hiyoko!? I mean, she could be a traitor, getting Mikan to kill Akane and all!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“You are wrong, Kazuichi. No offense, Hiyoko, but I doubt anyone of that… stature could efficiently betray a group,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Wha…!? I’m so-sorry for being wrong, Miss Sonia! Your logic far exceeds mine!”</p><p>“You are forgiven for your misdeed, subject.”</p><p>“Is that a joke about my height!? I’ll make sure you end up like Marie Antionette when I’m done with you!” shouted Hiyoko.</p><p>“Hiyoko, it’s an insult in your favor, take all that you can get,” said I.</p><p>“Fine, Ham Hands… But what about Nagito?”</p><p>“Ooh! Ibuki has that! Even if he’s a psycho with self-esteem issues, Ibuki doubts that he could be a traitor!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Thhhanks…?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Yoooou’re welcooooome!”</p><p>“I would've tied up Nagito if his plan actually worked and he got someone killed, but I let it slide…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Should I… also say thanks to that…?” said Nagito.</p><p>“I was planning on tying up Hiyoko… but I don’t hurt women.”</p><p>“Finally, a man with class on this island!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“However, every fiber in my body sees Nagito as a troublesome fiend devoid of empathy and humanity…” said Gundham.</p><p>“Don’t worry… I can assure you he’ll never pull another stunt like that and he doesn’t need me to constantly tell him this, right?” said I, looking at Nagito. I remember those pills he dropped in the Pharmacy.</p><p>“...R-Right!” said Nagito.</p><p>“It’s always better to eliminate the cancer before it grows,” said Gundham.</p><p>“M-May I be excused for a bit?”</p><p>“You’re in the hot seat right now, Nagito. You sure you wanna up and leave right now?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Would it help if Byakuya came with me?”</p><p>“...Yeah, that’ll do.”</p><p>“Okay… would you come with me, Byakuya, to my cabin?”</p><p>“Sure…” said I.</p><p>We exited the Hotel and he began to speak to me.</p><p>“Thank you for having my back…”</p><p>“I saw what you dropped in that pharmacy and I wasn’t going to just leave you there while you got berated for something they probably don’t understand.”</p><p>“Yeah… I even brought you because you’re the only one who knows.” We entered his cabin and he darted to the bathroom where I followed him in. He took two pills from the container he dropped in the Pharmacy and used the sink water to down them.</p><p>“Do those keep your… eccentric nature at bay?’</p><p>“You’re right on the money, Byakuya! With these, I won’t pull anymore knives at a party…”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...Oh, and sorry for basically accidently dumping something so personal on you like that. It would be a talentless scrub like me to do something like that…”</p><p>“You need to stop degrading luck as a skill.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“*sigh* With luck, you can be any Ultimate you want to be. With enough luck, you could take a photo as good as Mahiru can, play games as good as Chiaki, and fix a machine as good as Kazuichi. Luck is a wildcard, Nagito, and you… you are a wildcard.”</p><p>His eyes lit up, “I… I-I never thought about luck like that. Thank you, Byakua, that… that really opened my eyes…!” He then hugged me… for a little too long.</p><p>We exited his cabin and that awkward hug and returned to the Hotel where I was greeted by Peko’s voice.</p><p>“...Enough. Knock it off, you two,” said Peko addressing Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Fuyuhiko, I see you’ve arrived,” said I.</p><p>“Tch… yeah, whatever…” said Fuyuhiko. “Y-You bastards… I’ll make sure you regret that later…!” Then he exited the Hotel.</p><p>“Fuyuhiko, I see you’ve left.”</p><p>“Wh-What the heck… He’s just a whiny loser!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Kazuichi… let us just stop this already,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Did you make fun of his height or his clan?” said I.</p><p>“He made fun of both,” chimed in Hiyoko.</p><p>“*sigh*”</p><p>“Jeez, all this fighting… I can tell it’s not going to be easy in the future…” said Mahiru. You and me both, Mahiru.</p><p>“Well, at least people aren't much of a worry on this island. We already have the mysteries but people's problems can be solved.” Fuyuhiko seems to be the only problematic person here. I’ve already solved Nagito and I think I got through to Hiyoko. We all finished breakfast and returned to our cottages. Well, now it’s time to see how everyone’s doing.</p><p>“Byakuya!” said someone from behind me.</p><p>“*sigh*” said I, knowing it was Ibuki, “...Yes?”</p><p>“Well, ya know how-”</p><p>“Is anyone sick, dead, dying, or bleeding?”</p><p>“No… but…”</p><p>“Then I’m done here.”</p><p>“Wait! Do you remember what Ibuki said when you first met Ibuki?”</p><p>“*sigh* You were amazed by how fast I downed a family size bag of chips then commented on the… “acoustics” of my stomach…”</p><p>“Then you see where this is going, right?”</p><p>“You’re going to hit my stomach?”</p><p>“Yep-yep-yep!” I suppose a slap is good, I did get punched by Fuyuhiko.</p><p>Ibuki slapped my stomach and it sent a shockwave throughout my body. It didn’t really sound all that good.</p><p>“Ah! Your clothes are blocking the sound, would you care to-”</p><p>“I will not!”</p><p>“Aww… well, this is the answer Ibuki expected! We hardly know each other and telling an acquaintance to simply undress is totally not cool… but Ibuki hoped that Ibuki’s charisma would be high enough. Anyway, goodbye-bye!” Then Ibuki skipped off towards her cottage. I don’t think I could live with that much energy. Hmm, putting it in music terms since she is the Ultimate Musician, everyone else is going 4/4 while she’s doing half time. She’s doing everything much faster and possibly, more complicated than it needs to be.</p><p>I’m going to check out that private beach, Chandler Beach. There should be someone there. Treks may be getting longer the more islands that arrive. I had to walk across two bridges, walk on three islands, and finally through a tunnel. Knowing that there’s more islands that aren’t open makes me ponder what mysteries exist on them. Well, at least I know what one of them is as I could see a rollercoaster from the apex of the footbridge.</p><p>Stepping on Chandler Beach, I saw Peko doing a performance with her sword in a bathing suit while Fuyuhiko watched. I walked up beside him and-</p><p>“Woah! Jesus! What the fuck, man… don’t sneak up on me like that!” screamed Fuyuhiko loud enough to pause Peko. She eventually returned to her performance.</p><p>“How did I sneak up on you?” said I.</p><p>“You know, I’m not entirely sure…” He said that as he blushed. He was definitely looking at Peko. “So what the Hell are you here for, fatty?”</p><p>“Just wandering around, checking in on things…”</p><p>“*sigh* If you were anyone else, I’d tell ya to fuck off, but you’re not the worst person to be standing next to.”</p><p>“You’re correct there. There are certainly worse people on this island…”</p><p>“And to think, I thought you were just some hoity-toity prick with a silver spoon in his mouth. Turns out, you’re not as big of a prick as I thought you were, but I’m not calling off that silver spoon.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t use those exact lines, but I thought much of the same of you.”</p><p>“Tch… heh. Anyway, I guess I owe you one for clearing my name back in that trial.”</p><p>“You don't, we had each other’s backs there.”</p><p>“I was perfectly ready for you to throw my ass to the wolves and claim that I killed Akane and ya know, if you did that, I was ready to do the same to you. I guess you’re lucky I stayed in my room!”</p><p>“That you are… I must ask you something, you don’t seem like a hikikomori, so why do you spend so much time away from the group?”</p><p>“C’mon, fatso, did you not listen to me stretching my neck a little bit in that diner?”</p><p>“I did… but we are not your clan. You are allowed to spend time with everyone.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know. I don’t want to rely on them, that’s all. I’m a lone wolf.” Yet, you spend most of your time near Peko.</p><p>“Are you a lone wolf… or an alone wolf?”</p><p>“The Hell’s that supposed to mean!?”</p><p>Peko then came towards us sweating buckets. It’s a good thing she wore a bathing suit because she looks drenched. She walked past us and I opened the door to the beach house for her.</p><p>“Thank you…” uttered Peko.</p><p>“If you’re looking to take a shower, I’m afraid the water is turned off in this building,” said I.</p><p>“Hmm… I have an idea.” Peko looked at the glass refrigerator in the room and took all of the water bottles out. “There’s a shower, correct?”</p><p>“Yes…”</p><p>“Then I’ll take these water bottles and stand over the shower drain.”</p><p>“Damn, that’s actually a good, fucking idea!”</p><p>Peko carried some to the bathroom and disappeared into it. I then went and grabbed the rest of the stash and went to the bathroom door. The door opened and Peko was startled by my sudden appearance.</p><p>“Oh… y-you don’t need to carry them for me…” said Peko.</p><p>“Nonsense,” said I, giving them to Peko. “Enjoy your, “shower”.” The door to the bathroom then closed.</p><p>“Alright, as you were saying, what the fuck is an “alone wolf”?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“A lone wolf is one who spends time away from a group, similar to how you shut out support from your clan. An alone wolf is not alone by choice, it’s because they don’t have anyone they can call friend or family.”</p><p>“No… I got someone I can call a friend…”</p><p>“Is it me?” I said, jokingly.</p><p>“Hey, fuck off! ...But, you’re kinda right, I can slightly call you a friend, but that isn’t who I was thinking of! That one should be really fucking obvious to you!”</p><p>“Peko…?”</p><p>“Yep… It’s nice to have another friend who is kind of in my court. Born into a rich family, had good education, and a similar backstory…”</p><p>“I wouldn’t call our backstories similar. No one knows mine and no one will ever know…”</p><p>“Alright then, Byakuya, keep your secrets.”</p><p>Peko then came out of the bathroom drenched in a better liquid and Fuyuhiko followed her out the back entrance to the beach house. I don’t think Fuyuhiko will be much of a problem. He’s as abrasive as sandpaper… but it seems his wolf pack is expanding. I then headed back to my cottage. The nightly announcement came on and I was ready to sleep until I heard,</p><p>“Emergency, emergency!” said Monokuma through the tv. “Students, head over to Jabberwock Park as fast as you can! Come on, hurry up! Whoever gets there first, I’ll treat you to my special-made curry rice tomorrow night! Come on, hurry the eff up!”</p><p>Hmm, maybe I should ask Teruteuru to make curry rice tomorrow. Actually, he probably had that same idea as soon as he saw that announcement. Well, I gotta get to Jabberwock Park. I headed to the Park and was the first one there, as usual.</p><p>“Well now, Byakuya, I hope you’re ready to receive some curry rice tomorrow! I made it with love…” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Hmph…” said I. “I’m only here because of the announcement, I could care less about your curry rice.”</p><p>“They always know the words to cut you deep…”</p><p>Soon, everyone else arrived with Hajime still being last. I could watch a movie in the time it takes for him to show up to places.</p><p>“What’s the scientific term for when you get hungry after you hear the word, “curry”!?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Well, there’s polyphagia, but that’s only for extreme cases of hunger. In your situation, I think that’s just called hungry. Unless you’re hungry and angry, then it's “hangry”!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“*gasp* That’s a good word, Teruteru!”</p><p>“You guys are fucking stupid… Don’t get worked up over something so idiotic…” said Fuyuhiko. “Hey, where the Hell is Monokuma!? Get out here!”</p><p>“Okie-dokie, thanks for waiting! Thanks for the miracle of waiting!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Now Monokuma… let us hear what your business is. However, you should know I, the Supreme Overlord, have very little time to spare, understand? If this is something foolish, know that I will feed your remains to these beasts!” said Gundham, pulling out his hamsters.</p><p>“Huh? Huh? You haven’t noticed yet? The reason why I summoned you guys… If you look closely at this park, you should be able to notice.”</p><p>“...Eh?” said Hajime.</p><p>There was an arcade machine in the center of the park. It stuck out majorly.</p><p>“Ah! Isn’t this an arcade machine?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Puhuhu… thaaaaaat’s correct!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Well, Monokuma, you’ve successfully piqued Chiaki’s interest,” said Nagito. “So, what’s this about?”</p><p>“The long-awaited Recreation Time!”</p><p>“Don’t tell me… you’re going to tell us to play this game…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Hey, what’s the game? What games are on this?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“I’ve only prepared one game, but… it’s truly a gem. After all, it’s a game that I personally created!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Huh? You did?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Then… it is not something I could possibly look forward to playing,” said Sonia.</p><p>“No no, don’t compare it to those amateur fanservice games… You know that famous game that everyone’s been waiting for a sequel to? Well I made a brand-new game instead!”</p><p>“F-Famous game?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Now then, I shall present it! Tadaaaa! The name of the game is Twilight Syndrome Murder Case!”</p><p>“What the heck!? That’s pretty lame!” said Hiyoko. “I wanna play games about riddle-solving professors or collecting cute monsters.”</p><p>“Stupid… Don’t say such silly things! What if we get weighed down by all the quarters!?”</p><p>“Twilight Syndrome is an adventure game series… The first one was released in 1996… It’s about a group of high school girls who go exploring in order to verify numerous urban legends… The player controls the character like a side-scroller,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Oh yeah, she’s in Heaven right now,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Uh, is that a part of the game series where you use a camera to take pictures of ghosts that are only visible in the camera?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Nope… You may be confused about the Twilight Syndrome reference that’s in the game you’re thinking of,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Well now, I guess I should cut to the chase and say it. This is your next motive!” said Monokuma. This motive seems… preventable. I can’t destroy the arcade machine... but I can deface it! “After all, I’m gonna get bored if the next blackened doesn’t show up soon!”</p><p>“This game is the… motive…?”</p><p>“Oh no, she’s in Hell now. A game she can’t play… that must bring an unbearable amount of despair…” said Nagito.</p><p>“In truth, this game’s theme is a missing link. You know, it's a recurring theme for mysteries, right? It’s kinda like a hidden connection,” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Care to… explain…?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“If you’re interested… then try playing it!”</p><p>“It’s gonna be a hard no from me.”</p><p>“Teruteru, this is one of the only things we agree on, no one can play this game! It’s a trap!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“If that’s the motive, then… we don’t play it, right?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“That’s absolutely right…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Y’know… I might have made a mistake somewhere… But are you sure you wanna do that?” said Monokuma. “Learning the motive means you’re gonna be prepared, you know. Humans who are prepared… and humans who aren’t… I don’t have to tell you which is strong and which is weak, right?”</p><p>“Stop talking,” said I.</p><p>“Oh c’mon, if someone secretly played it, that person might come and kill you.” I now have an idea.</p><p>“...Heh.”</p><p>“Hey! What’s so funny!?”</p><p>“You’ll see… Carry on.”</p><p>“Wh-What do you mean!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“That’s really ominous, Byakuya,” said Teruteru</p><p>“Well then, nice one Byakuya. I didn’t even need to finish my speech, you already got everyone second-guessing themselves! Bye bye!” said Monokuma shortly before leaving.</p><p>“Stay here or leave, I don’t care right now. I’ll be back,” said I.</p><p>I left them all in the dust because I’m a man on a mission. I have an idea and I’m going for it! I hiked across the bridge and into the Rocketpunch Market. After wandering for a bit, I found what I needed, that being, spray paint, duct tape, razor blades, thumbtacks, super glue, uncuttable gloves, and kitty litter. I hiked back over to Jabberwock Park and found Gundham, Nagito, Mahiru, and Peko there, everyone else must’ve left.</p><p>“Uhh, Byakuya, what are you doing?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Making sure this motive can’t be used,” said I. I stepped in front of the arcade machine and dropped my bags. I fished out the spray paint, shook it a few times, popped the cape off, and began to spray paint the screen black.</p><p>“Oh…! I see what you’re doing! That’s exactly what I should’ve expected from you,” said Nagito.</p><p>“There’s more…” said I. I put on the gloves and took out the razor blades, thumbtacks, duct tape, and glue. I glued the thumbtacks to the button, sharp side up, and taped the razor blades around the joysticks. </p><p>“Isn’t that a bit, ya know, extreme?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Desperate times call for desperate measures…” said Peko.</p><p>Now, with my shopping bag empty, I took the container of kitty litter and poured it in a pile in front of the machine. I emptied the whole container and I didn’t even realize it.</p><p>“My, my, Byakuya, you are quite witty. You used the kitty litter so the machine can’t be played without disturbing the litter,” said Gundham.</p><p>“There, I’m now done. No one is using this motive as long as I’m here, got that?” said I.</p><p>“Isn’t that destroying property? Won’t Monokuma… kill you for it?” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Nonsense, I’m not destroying anything. I’m simply… making some additions.”</p><p>Monomi showed up, “Emergency! My alarms are telling me that someone broke the rules by littering! Byakuya, why did you destroy the natural beauty of the Earth!?” said Monomi.</p><p>“*sigh* ...I’m not littering.” Here comes another one of Byakuya’s famous gambits.</p><p>“Then what is that pile in front of the arcade machine!?”</p><p>“Kitty litter. Now, did you know that kitty litter can give your car traction when it snows?”</p><p>“Yes, what’s your point?”</p><p>“Well, in case it gets cold, someone who wanted to play the machine won’t slip and fall and hurt themself because of the litter.”</p><p>“Oh! I now see your ways! You’re so thoughtful, Byakuya! Alright, good night!” Then Monomi left. I am buttery smooth!</p><p>Mahiru put both hands on her head, “That… should not have worked.”</p><p>“A great mind and a silver tongue!? You certainly have a high astral level!” said Gundham.</p><p>“Rejoice! Your leader has protected you from harm,” said I.</p><p>“Do you think all of that on the machine will be able to stop anyone from playing?” said Peko.</p><p>“Definitely. Even if someone didn’t disturb the kitty litter and dodged the sharp objects on all of the controls, there’s no way they could play when the screen is spray painted!” said Nagito.</p><p>“Byakuya, I thank you. Even if Monokuma may place another motive to replace this one, you have my respect.”</p><p>“Show’s over now… Let’s get to bed,” said I.</p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong*</p><p>Okay, that one was the nightly announcement. The one I heard earlier was just a summon… and then I heard something funny.</p><p>“Now then, sweet dreams everyone. Good niiiiight… except you, Byakuya! I hate you! Now you’re not getting my curry!” came from the tv.</p><p>“I think everyone is now confused,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Then I’ll explain everything to them in the morning,” said I.</p><p>“Wait, Byakuya…” said Nagito.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“Oh, you missed what we talked about. Chiaki acted like you for a bit and promised that she’d never let another killing happen again.”</p><p>“That seems out of character from her introverted nature.”</p><p>“It was… I think she surprised everyone. I just wanted you to know that there’s another one who shares your… duty in protecting everyone…”</p><p>“Good… Very good…! Thank you for telling me this, Nagito.”</p><p>“No problem…. Bye!” Nagito then left.</p><p>I walked back to my cottage and packed it in for the night. On a day like this, normally, everyone would go to bed sunken. Everyone would have their head hung low knowing that death is looming over our heads… but not tonight. With Chiaki rallying the troops and myself rendering the arcade machine hard to use, I went to bed laughing. I laugh because I did something clever…</p><p> </p><p>I outsmarted Monokuma.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that's a prevented motive. Now, the question is, what is Monokuma gonna replace the arcade machine with?</p><p>Well, this Chapter is called "Cruel Limits" for a reason.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I woke up with the biggest smirk on my face and I held that smirk as I entered the Hotel.</p><p>“What did you do!?” said Teruteuru, worried.</p><p>“Heh… outsmarted Monokuma,” said I.</p><p>“Oh… so that’s why he’s here, pacing around the Restaurant.”</p><p>Sure enough, Monokuma was angrily stomping around the room, mumbling to himself, and every now and then, he’d look at me, shake his fist or mumble some more, and continue his stride.</p><p>“Oh, also…” continued Teruteru, “Monokuma also put this here.” There was what appeared to be an electronic sign of sorts. It was obviously powered off.</p><p>“Do you know what it’s for?” said I.</p><p>“Oop! No! You’ve pained me enough already! You’re gonna wait for everyone else to arrive!” shouted Monokuma.</p><p>Everyone soon came in like clockwork, except for Fuyuhiko of course, and actually, Hajime wasn’t last this time, it was Kazuichi.</p><p>“Oh good, Byakuya is alive!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Honestly, after hearing the nightly announcement, I thought he was dead too…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Alas, your leader is still alive!” said I.</p><p>“Regretfully…” mumbled Monokuma. “Anyway, because a certain someone messed with my plans,” Monokuma glared at me, “I am forced to input a new motive!”</p><p>“You… changed the motive?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Yep. I can do that, I have a backlog of ideas and Byakuya over there ruined my best one! It was gonna be so cool too! It had a story to tell, someone in someone’s family died, there was a coverup, fun stuff, ya’know?”</p><p>“That… doesn’t sound like fun,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“But it is! Plus, Mahiru, you’d probably know the story…”</p><p>“W-What!?”</p><p>“Oh, nothing…”</p><p>“Enough prancing around, what’s the new motive?” said I.</p><p>“Something you can’t control, Byakuya. It’s Lockdowns!” Monokuma then turned on the sign. “If you’ll point your attention here, there are three locations on this sign and four times. The times are, 6AM, 12PM, 6PM, and 12AM, better known as, 6:00, noon, 18:00, and midnight.”</p><p>“What do the locations mean?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Goooood question! These locations at these times will be completely locked! No one in, no one out!”</p><p>“How long are these locations going to be locked for?”</p><p>“A full 24 hours! Now then, the locations selected are: the Beach House at noon, the Airport at 6PM, and the Hotel at midnight!”</p><p>“Why isn’t there anything for 6AM?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I was being fair and decided not to lock anything down since you all didn’t know about the motive change. But don’t worry, this sign will refresh at midnight and new locations will be locked down!”</p><p>“Uhh, what about the Hotel? If we can’t get in the Hotel, how will we know what buildings are under Lockdown?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“*sigh* I guess I may put a sign outside as well. I do have multiple of these. Well, that’s all for now… oh, Ibuki, you were second to arrive and since Bykauya threw out his chances, you now have the curry!”</p><p>“Gasp, little ole’ Ibuki gets the Limited Edition Monokuma Curry!?” yelled Ibuki.</p><p>“Yep!”</p><p>“Alright! Ibuki’s day has crescendoed!” </p><p>“Then won’t it… decrescendo eventually?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Ha ha ha! A decrescendo in one of Ibuki’s songs!? That’s just funny! It only gets louder!”</p><p>“Hah! That’s some good energy, Ibuki. Reminds me of…” said Nekomaru. “...her.”</p><p>“Anyway, I’m still here!” said Monokuma. “Goodbye and don’t get trapped! Toodles!” Then Monokuma left.</p><p>“...I’ll go fill Fuyuhiko in,” said Peko, then she left.</p><p>Nekomaru’s comment sullied our meals… Soon enough, noon was upon us and I was at Chandler Beach. I pulled on the doorknob and he wasn’t lying, the door won’t even budge. It didn’t even jostle in its place. It’s almost as if you screwed a doorknob tightly to a wall. </p><p>During my event with the handle, Mahiru showed up. “Oh, hey Byakuya. I see you’re also checking out the locked building.”</p><p>“Indeed. The door doesn’t even budge and the knob doesn’t even make any noise,” said I, turning the knob to show her.</p><p>“Geez! I don’t think even Nekomaru could open the door.”</p><p>“I’ve been meaning to ask you, how is Hiyoko? She seems to follow you around a lot.”</p><p>“I think she sees me as a caring, motherly figure of sorts… and she’s doing fine. She’s toned down the insults too…”</p><p>“Good, do you know where she is now?”</p><p>“I think I saw her with Nagito.”</p><p>“That sounds like another Mikan situation except Nagito slightly thinks of himself higher than her… I’m going to check on them, can you show me where?”</p><p>“Sure…”</p><p>Mahiru led me to Hiyoko’s Cottage where Nagito and Hiyoko were inside. Nagito was covered in toilet paper, Christmas lights, and silly string.</p><p>“Uhh… are you okay, Nagito?” said I.</p><p>“Oh me? Yeah… under all of this, I’m okay,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Did you… agree to this?”</p><p>“Well, Hiyoko asked me if she could bully me, and I said yes.”</p><p>“Why would you agree to something like that?”</p><p>“Cool it, Mr. Ham Hands! I now know what not to do or say. Plus, I even picked someone with a mind more intact than the disgusting pig!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I hate to burst your bubble, but Nagito isn’t exactly… you know… mentally sound,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Mahiru, he’s okay!”</p><p>“Yeah, I am, for the most part…” said Nagito. “Also, Hiyoko, do you have any idea what you’re doing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Destroying peasant filth!”</p><p>“You do know I come from a rather wealthy family, right?”</p><p>“I am choosing to ignore that sentence, Peasant.”</p><p>“Well.. okay- mphphmh!” Nagito’s mouth was covered up by silly string mid-sentence. He noticed this and began a muffled laugh.</p><p>“Ha ha ha…!” said Mahiru.</p><p>“I see you’re enjoying it too,” said I.</p><p>“Well, it seems innocent enough…”</p><p>“So it seems…”</p><p>“Death to the Peasant!” shouted Hiyoko as she picked up a pillow and slammed it into Nagito’s inner knee, sending him off-balance and tumbling to the floor. She then hit him with a pillow some more before laying it on him and jumping on top of him.</p><p>“Oof!” said Nagito, through a silly stringed mouth. Hiyoko then began laughing as well as Nagito. Soon, we were all laughing.</p><p>“Hah, I see the laughter is infectious!” said I.</p><p>“I think we all needed this,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Yes, we did…”</p><p>“Alright, Peasant, your next order is to clean up the mess!” said Hiyoko. Nagito then said something muffled. No matter what he could've said, Hiyoko would’ve probably forced him to clean it up anyway.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll be going.”</p><p>“Oh, ok. See you later, Byakuya,” responded Mahiru. I then left Hiyoko’s cottage amid Nagito cleaning everything up.</p><p>I wandered around for a bit and saw Ibuki eating the Monokuma Curry. She gave a grin and continued ravaging the meal. I wandered off the island and into Jabberwock Park where I saw Chiaki in front of the arcade machine.</p><p>“So,” said I, approaching her, “I heard you were doing my job for me.”</p><p>“Huh…? Oh… I guess you could say that,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“I heard you tried to give people hope and even said that you’d do my job of making sure no one dies…”</p><p>“Uh huh… I share your thoughts.”</p><p>“...You seem glum.”</p><p>“...” Chikai put her hoodie’s hood up and looked at the ground.</p><p>“Is it the arcade machine?”</p><p>“I know it’s a motive and all… but I kinda wished I got to play it.”</p><p>“Hmph… it’s best no one play it, even you.”</p><p>“*sigh* You’re right… I have played better games.”</p><p>“What was it? You wanted to play this one because it hasn’t had a sequel in a long time?”</p><p>“Yeah… but there was a good chance it could be bad. No one ever really looks at that aspect of video games.” I best let her talk.</p><p>“What aspect?”</p><p>“If a sequel is bad, it can make you look at a series differently. A lot of people just ask for sequels to a single game or series without taking that into account.”</p><p>“All stories have to end eventually…”</p><p>“Yeah… but sometimes I want them to continue. There was once this game studio that purposely wrote themselves into a corner so they didn’t have to work on another sequel. The ending left a lot of people unsatisfied, but the developers just wanted to stop. Although, I say they didn’t write themselves into a corner all that well… but I won’t bore you with my theories.”</p><p>“So how is this fanbase doing? Do they want another game?”</p><p>“Hmm… not collectively. There are some who want one and some who don’t… At least all are enjoying the characters that we have so far.”</p><p>“Then in a sense, the game has its sequel.”</p><p>“Huh…? I… don’t follow…”</p><p>“Well, if the community behind the game is thriving, then a sequel doesn’t need to come along and possibly ruin everything and even if it doesn’t, it will probably stick out. Sure it may help the series thrive, but sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone.”</p><p>“So… it’s either leave a game alone to not spoil the memories… or risk it and possibly write a worse ending than what you left with… I don’t think I ever thought about games that way. Are you… secretly a gamer?”</p><p>“Do I look like I play video games?”</p><p>“...Uh, yeah… kinda.” *sigh*</p><p>“Well I don’t…”</p><p>“Aw… I’m getting sleepy…” Chiaki then slumped against me, half-asleep. She’s gonna make me carry her, isn’t she?</p><p>Just then, Hajime walked into the Park. “Ah, Hajime, could you please carry Chiaki back to her cottage?”</p><p>“Eh? Uh, sure…” said a confused Hajime as I handed him Chiaki.</p><p>“Thank you. That is your leader’s order and that will be all!”</p><p>“Okay…?” Then a confused Hajime left the Park. I got lucky there. Maybe hanging around Nagito will do that to you. </p><p>It’s getting late, I should head back. As I walked into the Hotel grounds, I saw Teruteru setting up a barbeque outside similar to the beach party we had where… *sigh* that… happened. It had coolers and all.</p><p>“Oh, hey Byakuya!” said a cheerful Teruteru.</p><p>“What are you doing?” said I.</p><p>“I know it looks like a party, but since the Hotel as well as the Restaurant is being closed tomorrow, I thought it’d be good to plan for this. I’m doing a barbeque tomorrow morning! I just hope these coolers keep the meat somewhat frozen…”</p><p>“Hmph, good thinking. You’re smarter than you look and to be honest, you don’t look smart.”</p><p>“I’m not sure to take that as a compliment or insult.”</p><p>“Take it as both.” I then left the area and retreated to my cottage.</p><p>I soon heard the nightly announcement and began to lie down. A thought infiltrated my mind, that being what building was going to be closed at 6AM. The Airport and the Beach House are not that common of places to enter, but the Hotel is. I just hope that whatever building is being closed isn’t important.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Little shorter than usual. Had an entire week of planning to do some writing then not doing any writing.</p><p>I promise the next chapter will be longer, I was just getting something out so you guys get something and not nearly two weeks of nothing.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Today was the best awakening I’ve had on this island so far. Waking up, I smelled breakfast sausage, pancakes, and most importantly, bacon. I don’t even know how someone becomes a vegan when bacon smells so good. I don’t believe I could ever imper- No, I can’t say that…</p><p>Anyway, I got up before the morning announcement and there was Teruteru cooking in front of the locked down Hotel. Surprisingly, almost everyone was up as well.</p><p>“Ah, Byakuya, welcome! It appears my cooking sprung almost everyone to their feet!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“So it seems…” said I. I then noticed Fuyuhiko was present. “I see you even got Fuyuhiko up and near the group.”</p><p>“Food is supposed to bring people together. Not even he could resist this temptation!” </p><p>I watched all but Hajime pile in and this turned into a small party. It wasn’t like normal breakfast, it was more like the beach party but without a death putting it to a stop. I felt really good again. Mahiru was taking pictures of everyone, Hiyoko was pouring maple syrup into Nagito’s mouth (and missing often, getting it into his nose and eyes), Fuyuhiko was talking with Peko and actually had a smile on his face, and Nekomaru was cracking his knuckles getting ready to eat a twelve stack of pancakes, but he had a sullen look on his face. It appears this food challenge is probably reminding him of Akane.</p><p>“Hey, hey… where’s Hajime?” said Chiaki. Hajime wasn’t here.</p><p>“I’ll get him, you enjoy the party,” said I.</p><p>I walked away from the group and knocked on Hajime’s door.</p><p>“Hajime, are you awake?” said I.</p><p>“Hajime…?” I knocked some more. “Hajime!?” I started pounding. No no no, there can’t be another, not him… please no.</p><p>I heard a knock back and relief consumed me. The knob twisted and… the door didn’t open? I heard the lock on the door be fiddled with and still nothing.</p><p>“H-Help!” said Hajime, through the door. Wait a second…</p><p>“I’ll be right back, Hajime. Come to the window towards the back of your cottage.”</p><p>I walked over to the party and through everyone to look at the electronic board Monokuma set up outside.</p><p>6AM had Hajime’s picture on it. That sick bastard locked him in his cottage.</p><p>“Attention!” said I, pointing at the sign.</p><p>There was a brief pause and everyone looked at where I was pointing.</p><p>“Eh, shit…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>Monokuma popped up, “Wow! I was wondering when you guys were going to notice! That was like a solid fifteen minutes and no one even noticed I put Hajime on house arrest!”</p><p>“You can lock down students’ cottages!?” said Sonia.</p><p>“You betcha! It’s a building after all. I was gonna lock Byakuya’s… but that would be too obvious. I then looked at Nagito but then I thought that he’d actually like that, and finally it was Hajime. Though, if I’m being honest, I shoulda locked up Kazuichi!”</p><p>“W-Why me!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“‘Cause it would be funny to see no one visit you!” Monokuma then gave a hearty laugh. Hiyoko then laughed along with him.</p><p>“N-No! That’s not true! Miss Sonia would visit me!”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that. Toodles!” the Monokuma vanished.</p><p>“Hey guys…!” said Hajime from afar. His back window was slightly ajar, but not enough to crawl through. “Does it say I’m locked up?”</p><p>“Yeah…” shouted Mahiru.</p><p>“Oh that’s just fantastic!” Hajime then backed away from the window.</p><p>“So… now what?” said Nagito, through the syrup on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Business as usual, surprisingly,” said I.</p><p>“Yeah, I agree with Byakuya,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Well… there’s not much else going on,” said Chiaki. “It’s not like zombies rose from the grave and are currently attacking Generator 4…”</p><p>“Wha..?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“I still haven’t gotten Jugg…”</p><p>“Anyway… let’s get on with our day. But first, what else is closing today?” said I.</p><p>“Hmm, we have Hajime’s at 6AM, the Diner at noon, Library at 6PM, and the Pharmacy at midnight,” said Mahiru.</p><p>“Wait…! Pharmacy!?” said Nagito with syrup still on his face.</p><p>“Uhh, yes…”</p><p>“Oh… alright.”</p><p>We ate the rest of our breakfast and scattered as usual. I walked over to the Rocketpunch Market and looked for a board game. Hajime was locked inside, but we could play from the window. However, it couldn’t be a card game. I saw a wooden box and opened it. It folded out into a small, legless table and it had all of the pieces inside. Well, I hope he likes chess.</p><p>I walked to Hajime’s window and he took notice. “Hey, Byakuya, what’s that?” said Hajime.</p><p>“It’s chess. Do you wish to play?” said I.</p><p>“Sure, I don’t have much else to do in here.”</p><p>I began setting up the board in clear view of the window. “White or black?”</p><p>“White. Thanks for giving me company.”</p><p>“It’s a leader’s duty to make sure that everyone is doing okay. What’s your first move?”</p><p>“E2 to E4”</p><p>-----<br/>Some time later…<br/>-----<br/>“E3 to F5 and checkmate,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Wait… *sigh* you win, good game. I would shake your hand but there’s not enough room,” said I.</p><p>“Good game to you too. Thanks for giving me company. Can I take the chessboard?”</p><p>“Take it…” The window was just enough to slide the box through.</p><p>“Thanks, Byakuya. See you later, I won’t be going anywhere.”</p><p>“Heh, see you soon.”</p><p>It appeared to be noon. I walked over to the Beach House but was stopped in the parking lot of the Diner. I saw Hiyoko pressed up against the door and… Mahiru was on the other side!</p><p>“Don’t tell me…” said I.</p><p>“Mahiru’s locked inside!” said Hiyoko, through faint tears.</p><p>“Is… It’s nothing, Hiyo… Hiyoko,” said Mahiru, dazed.</p><p>“Are you okay, Mahiru?” said I.</p><p>“Yeah… no. I… I got a throbbing pain in my… my head.” Mahiru wiped her eyes and held the back of her head.</p><p>“I can’t do anything for you here. Just… put some ice on it, okay?”</p><p>“Al… Alright, I can do that. I’m gonna… go lie down for a bit…”</p><p>“Feel better soon, Mahiru!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I… vill…”</p><p>“Did her speech seem, slurred?” said I.</p><p>“A little,” said Hiyoko. “She may just need to nap it off. That usually works for me.”</p><p>“Good point… Hey, where is Nagito?’</p><p>“Oh the Peasant? I saw him heading over to the Pharmacy. He’s acting a little weird but not like he did at the Trial.”</p><p>“Thank you for the information. I am going to see him now.”</p><p>“Could you say that any more robotic?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Oh c’mon, you totally said that like a robot. Unless… are you a robot and is that robophobic or something!?”</p><p>“I am not a robot…”</p><p>“Then use contractions!”</p><p>I then walked away from Hiyoko and towards the Pharmacy. Sure enough, Nagito was plundering the medicine there. He got a look of pure terror when he saw me walk in.</p><p>“Oh… it’s you. I thought it was-” said Nagito. His hair seemed damp, I guess he washed off all that syrup.</p><p>“Don’t say a thing. I assume you are collecting for the Pharmacy’s closure, no?” said I.</p><p>“You’re spot on! I just hope Monokuma refreshes the inventory soon.”</p><p>“How much stock do you have?”</p><p>“Enough to last me a while…”</p><p>“Then you’ll be fine. Even if you do, I’ll find a way to either get you more or deal with you then, okay?”</p><p>“O-Okay… Do you think the rest will find out?”</p><p>“You see, I have a secret too that blows yours out of the water. I doubt they will find out.”</p><p>“That’s reassuring… now I want to know your secret.”</p><p>“I am *not* telling anyone nor will you just so happen to stumble upon me.”</p><p>“I see you’re better at keeping secrets from me. Well, I just had bad luck there…”</p><p> </p><p>“That you did. Now, do you wish to get some food? I think Teruteru has leftovers.”</p><p>“Sure, Byakuya!”</p><p>We walked to Nagito’s cottage where he dropped off the drugs and walked in front of the Hotel and began to eat lunch. Sonia and Kazuichi then joined and we had a lovely conversation…</p><p>“...You mean I have to pick it up with my hands?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Yeah! You can’t eat a chicken leg with a fork and knife,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Well, you can, just not very well…” I chimed in.</p><p>“So I pick it up… like this?” said Sonia, slowly picking up a chicken leg with her index finger and thumb.</p><p>“Like that, but you’d probably want a firm grip on it, see?” said Kazuichi, showing Sonia his grip on the leg.</p><p>“But my hand… it will get dirty, no?”</p><p>“It will, but that’s supposed to happen!” Kazuichi took another bite.</p><p>“What about you, Byakuya? You seem like this worries you.”</p><p>I took a chicken leg and ate it, “It doesn’t bother me. I just simply have to wipe my hands afterwards,” said I.</p><p>“Okay…! I’m going to do it!” Sonia gripped on the chicken leg and took a dainty little bite.</p><p>“Just like that, Miss Sonia!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“I don’t think I’ve ever done this! Thank you Kazuichi for teaching me a new way to eat food!”</p><p>“It’s nothing, Miss Sonia…” Kazuichi’s face turned red as Nagito and I continued eating.</p><p>It started to get late. I quickly need to check on Mahiru. I bid the three goodbye and walked to the Diner. Hiyoko was sitting down in front of the door.</p><p>“Hiyoko, did you see Mahiru?” said I.</p><p>“Yeah, she’s going to bed for the night now,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Did she seem… off in any way?”</p><p>“Yeah, she seems really dizzy like you spun in circles for an hour. Other than that, she told me she talked with Nekomaru in the Diner before he left and she got locked up.”</p><p>“Nekomaru?”</p><p>“Yeah. Apparently Nekomaru left before Mahiru and she wound up trapped inside.”</p><p>“I’m going to go see Nekomaru, good night.”</p><p>“Night…”</p><p>I walked back to the Hotel and knocked on Nekomaru’s door. It swung open and the big, muscular man that is Nekomaru was in the doorway.</p><p>“Oh, hey Byakuya. What do you need?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Were you with Mahiru in the Diner before it went into lockdown?” said I.</p><p>“Yeah… I accidentally threw her to the floor.”</p><p>“You what!?”</p><p>“I didn’t mean it. I accidentally gave her a concussion for it too.”</p><p>“You’re kidding me…”</p><p>“Hey, look, I’m sorry and I even said it to her. She’s gonna wake up in the morning and feel better, trust me, I’ve done concussion protocols tons of times.”</p><p>“*sigh* Alright, I trust you, goodnight.”</p><p>“Goodnight,” Nekomaru then shut the door.</p><p>I would say I’m worried, but I’m not all that worried right now. It’s just a simple concussion. I shouldn’t get so worked up over small things like this, it’s going to be the death of me. I sat at the edge of my bed diving in and out of comfort about Mahiru. Nekomaru did have Mikan treat Akane for a concussion. Yeah, she’ll be fine. She listens to the rules I think and she’d probably take a concussion seriously. I’ll just need someone to escort her back to her cottage along with me. I doubt Hiyoko is big enough to carry Mahiru. And so, I drifted away to the sleepytime junction.</p><p> </p><p>There was no food when I woke up. I’m gonna miss that. I woke up around the usual time, headed to the Hotel and saw Teruteru cook, heard the announcement, and awaited everyone. I’m running out of ways to say that everyone arrived.</p><p>“Alright,” said I to the group, “listen up. I need someone to come with me to the Diner to get Mahiru when the time arises. I am going as well and I assume Hiyoko too, but a third person couldn’t hurt.”</p><p>“I’ll go,” said Hajime, “I haven’t seen her in a day.”</p><p>“Then it’s settled. Locations to be locked are, 6AM, Rocketpunch Market, noon, Ranch, 6PM, Nekomaru’s Cottage, and midnight Jabberwock Park. Any questions? No? Alright, carry on with your meals and your days.”</p><p>Hiyoko gobbled down her meal like Akane while me and Hajime were still eating. She was standing at the exit waiting.</p><p>“C’mon slowpokes, I thought you’d eat faster!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Relax, Hiyoko, the Diner doesn’t open for another couple hours, we got time,” said Hajime. Hiyoko made a pouty expression and said, “Meanie.”</p><p>I finished my meal and it was down to Hajime. “Alright, we got thirty minutes, finish up, Hajime.”</p><p>“One sec…” said Hajime. He downed an entire glass of orange juice, “...okay, now I’m ready.”</p><p>We three walked down to the Diner together.</p><p>“So, why exactly do we need three people to get Mahiru?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Nekomaru told me that she has a concussion,” said I.</p><p>“What!? Did that big brute do that to get back at me maybe, maybe not killing his girlfriend!?”</p><p>“Shut it, Hiyoko. It was an accident. Nekomaru isn’t one to hold that big of a grudge to hurt someone who wasn’t even involved.”</p><p>“Hmph, he better not have hurt her too badly…”</p><p>“Or what?”</p><p>“I’ll think about doing something mean to him!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you got time,” said Hajime. We made it to the Diner and stopped. “About two minutes worth of time, but time nonetheless.”</p><p>Hiyoko pressed up against the door, “Mahiru, it’s almost time!” There was no response.</p><p>“She’s probably still sleeping off that concussion. I think it’s best not to shout as I think sensitivity to noise is a symptom.”</p><p>“You’re right about that, Hajime,” said I.</p><p>“Fine, I’ll speak softly and carry a big stick!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I think you need a stick and a mustache to say that,” said Hajime.</p><p>“That was… such a bad joke, Hajime. I should start calling you, Jester!”</p><p>“Haha… don’t.”</p><p>*Click*</p><p>“There’s the door, Hiyoko, if you’d do the honor-” said I. I was too late, Hiyoko already swung the door open.</p><p>“Mahiru? Where are you?” said Hiyoko. Mahiru wasn’t in the front or behind the counter.</p><p>“Probably in the kitchen.”</p><p>“*gasp* Mahiru, there you are.”</p><p>Sure enough, Mahiru was sleeping on the floor of the kitchen. Hiyoko got down on her knees and began to wake her up.</p><p>“Ah, there she is.”</p><p>“Mahiru, wake up you sleepyhead!”</p><p>“Where is she? Oh, there she is. Why is she on the floor?” said Hajime.</p><p>*Ding dong dong ding*</p><p>The tvs flickered on and Monokuma spoke, “A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin!”</p><p>Hiyoko’s smile instantly faded away, “M-Mahiru…?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I bet you weren't expecting another chapter this early. Well, I left you hanging for almost two weeks so I give you two quick ones.</p><p>This one however, is a very, very, very, important one and if you've read this far, you know why.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CHAPTER 2<br/>
CRUEL LIMITS<br/>
DEADLY LIFE</p><p> </p><p>I looked at Mahiru over the screams and tears of Hiyoko. I soon saw Hajime try and collect her and carry her out of the kitchen and into the dining area. She wasn’t going down easy as she repeatedly fought Hajime. She wasn’t ready to leave but soon gave in to Hajime’s strength. As he passed me, he gave such a depressed glare. I looked behind me as they left and Hiyoko had an expression of pure agony. Just when I thought everything would be okay… this happens. I should’ve tried harder. Well, now I have to investigate a second corpse and as I bent down to inspect Mahiru, Hajme came in.</p><p>“Kazuichi was nearby, he’s going around collecting people,” said Hajime.</p><p>“...Good. How many are here now?” said I.</p><p>“All but Kazuichi and Nagito, but they should be here soon.”</p><p>“Well… I guess we do this again.”</p><p>Monokuma showed up, “Indeed you have to! Buuuut, it’ll be harder without, the Monokuma File (#2)! This should feel familiar.”</p><p>Almost on cue, the rabbit showed up, “Th-This… is the worst… Once again… this horrible nightmare… Another victim… and it’s all because of Monokuma…”</p><p>“Jeez! It’s not my fault! ...Huh? Then whose fault is it, you ask? Find that out yourselves!” Then Monokuma disappeared. Monomi however, stayed put in the corner, watching us.</p><p>“Are you going to just stay there…?” said I.</p><p>“...C-Can I?”</p><p>I looked at Hajime and he nodded, “Fine… but don’t get in our way.” I turned towards Hajime with the Monokuma File,” We should read this in the dining room,” and we both stepped out to the people on the island.</p><p>“You son of a bitch! You killed Mahiru didn’t you!” screamed Hiyoko while attempting to attack Nekomaru’s legs.</p><p>“I-I didn’t! Please, believe me, I-” said Nekomaru before I cut him off.</p><p>“What’s going on here!?” said I.</p><p>“Pipsqueak is accusing the duke of murdering the red-headed bitch,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Hiyoko, save it for the Trial, it only matters there. Where’s Kazuichi and Nagito?”</p><p>“Right there,” said Ibuki, pointing out beyond the windows to two figures getting closer.</p><p>Kazuichi and Nagito stepped in, “Is it r-real…? Is Mahiru…” said Nagito before looking at the tear-ridden Hiyoko. Hiyoko then rushed to him and the impact nearly sent him to the floor. She continued to cry.</p><p>“Is it best if I say the Monokuma File without… *her* present?” said I. Hiyoko rubbed her head against Nagito in an up and down notion. Nagito then escorted her outside.</p><p>“Alright, that’s everyone… we’re ready,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>The screen of the file lit up and nearly flashbanged me, “*Ahem* The victim is Mahiru Koizumi. Estimated time of death is around 6:00 AM… The body was discovered in the kitchen of the Diner. The cause of death is… unknown? What do you mean, “unknown!?””</p><p>“You’re kidding me, it doesn’t say cause of death?” said Nekomaru who was currently tapping his foot.</p><p>“That’s what it says…”</p><p>“It seems a piece of our puzzle is missing. Perhaps it is hidden on purpose?” said Gundham.</p><p>“That is plausible. It may be hidden because it would instantly show us who killed Mahiru,” said Peko.</p><p>“Well then our job is a little harder. I’ll be in the kitchen, feel free to join me… and someone tell Nagito the “cause of death,” please,” said I.</p><p>“Ibuki’ll do it!” said Ibuki, cheerfully.</p><p>“Anyone but her right now, please.” Then I left the room and into the kitchen.</p><p>Mahiru’s body was still on the floor. Now comes the “fun” part, investigation. I bent down over Mahiru’s head and began to slowly move her limbs. Hajime walked in on me as I moved her head.</p><p>“Is her neck… broken?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Doesn’t look it… It looks straight to me…”</p><p>“Kinda wish we had Mikan right about now…” Yeah, she’d help greatly. Hajime then re-noticed Monomi in the corner. “Oh, you’re still here?” Monomi nodded and didn’t say a word. Just then, I noticed a dry, greenish stain on her mouth and shirt.</p><p>“Hey, I think I got something!”</p><p>“What do you have?”</p><p>“See this odd colored stain here?”</p><p>“It looks like she either ate or drank something. We are in the kitchen, maybe she got hungry?”</p><p>“Hmm, perhaps…” Hajime wandered about the room as I noticed her camera. I turned it on and it sprouted to life in front of me. I scrolled through the photos she took. The first couple were of the first island and some of the central island, the next were of the beach party, then pictures of the second island including some very good pictures of the rain, and finally the breakfast we all had outside. All good memories, but all before terrible events. Wait a second, there’s a video that was recorded! I pressed play on the video and it started to make noise. Mahiru’s voice was there.</p><p>“H...Hey, everyone… I don’t exactly… know why… I’m recording this, but I fffffffeel that I should. My head is killing me… and I don’t know how to stop it. Neko… Nekomaru said it’s a concussion and, you know… I believe him. I really… shouldn’t have done that, I was kinda being rude thhhhhere. I can’t stand uppppp anymore, is… tooooo hard. Also hard to spppeak and… think. The cllllock on my camera says itsssssss… 5:50 AM. I’m almost oooout! I have a bad… taste in my mouth but I don’t… remember eating anything. Jeez, my thoughts are… all over the place. What was I gonna say…? Oh yeah, hey Hiyoko, I’ll see you soon! I’m not drrrrunk but I feel tingly in my left arm… I-I-I hear someone coming! I’m gonnnnnna stop now. I’m gonna see who’s there…. Byeeeeee” </p><p>Then the recording ended. Both me and Hajime were stunned that she managed to record her final moments. Even if she had difficulty speaking.</p><p>“Well, if this doesn’t scream evidence I don’t know what does,” said I.</p><p>“Ditto… and I think I found the source of the greenish stain,” said Hajime. He pointed out a back window. The window opened more than Hajime’s cottage and you could actually easily slide in if you were thin enough. Besides that, there was a big puddle of green fluid on the windowsill and outside. “I don’t know about you, but this looks like vomit.”</p><p>“Mahiru… vomited out the window? Did she actually eat something rancid?”</p><p>“Maybe…”</p><p>“Well either way, someone may have snuck through this window. Mahiru did say that it sounded like someone was coming.”</p><p>“I guess that clears you, Teruteru, and Nekomaru off sneaking through this window.”</p><p>“Once again, another reason why fat is superior!”</p><p>“Other than the puke window, I got nothing. Wait, you see that bag by Mahiru’s head?”</p><p>We both got closer and it was a bag of water. Hajime said, “What do you think this was used for?”</p><p>You’re kidding me, Hajime, “She said her head is throbbing… I’m just going to let you figure it out.”</p><p>“Wait! C’mon, tell me!”</p><p>“I’m not telling you a thing. Maybe I’ll tell you at the trial.” Hajime then groaned. “Although, I must wonder, why is this window different from the one in your cottage? You can open this one more.”</p><p>“I’ll answer that!” said Monokuma, bursting into the scene. “Ya see, the window here is jammed and it can’t go down.” Monokuma then jumped and tried to pull the window down. “See… *huff* not… budging!”</p><p>“Thanks for the info… Now leave.”</p><p>“Aww, you don’t wanna spend time with your favorite bear?”</p><p>“Who said you’re my favorite?”</p><p>“...” Monokuma stared blankly at me. “...I hate you.” Then Monokuma left.</p><p>“You know, I think you’re getting better at telling him off,” said Hajime.</p><p>“If you say so…” said I.</p><p>I faintly heard Monomi whisper, “Yeah! You tell him off!” in the corner.</p><p>“I don’t think anything else is in this kitchen. What do you think?”</p><p>“This kitchen is quite clean despite a murder happening… I don’t think there’s anything left,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Hmph, it’s now time to talk to people, my favorite…” I then took Mahiru’s camera.</p><p>Leaving the kitchen, I went into the dining area and found almost everyone sitting there. Hajime stepped out and began talking to Nekomaru as I exited the Diner. Hiyoko was crying on the curb and leaning against Nagito. I didn’t expect those two to bond… but I guess if you both do someone awful, it’s better to share your guilt with others who’ve done awful things just like you.</p><p>I went to Hiyoko and gave her Mahiru’s camera, “Here, take this. There’s a video on it, you should see it…” I then heard the same speech I heard in the kitchen and Hiyoko’s eyes became water fountains once again.</p><p>“Is that… the last thing she did?” said Nagito, after the recording ended.</p><p>“I believe so. It’s stated that it was recorded at 5:50 AM and the device tells the same story. She died ten minutes later.”</p><p>“B-But who was that person who she heard coming? Was it *sniff* her… killer!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Maybe, we need to find more things out. I should go, I need to check on something.”</p><p>I left the two behind and walked at a brisk pace to Jabberwock Park. The arcade machine still stands. I got closer and noticed that the screen was still painted black. However, someone was off. The kitty litter was disturbed! Getting closer, I noticed some of the razor blades and thumbtacks were moved and I even saw dried blood on the machine. Someone tried to play this but couldn’t because of the measures I put in place. Well, at least I can comfortably say that plan worked… I just couldn’t do anything about the replacement motive.</p><p>I heard footsteps and turned around. Hajime was there and standing like he didn’t know where he was supposed to be.</p><p>“Do you have anything for me or are you just going to stand there?” said I.</p><p>“Eh…? I have something,” he replied.</p><p>“Then spit it out.”</p><p>“I talked with Nekomaru and got the talk about the concussion he diagnosed her with.”</p><p>“Did he talk about how Mahiru got one?”</p><p>“Nope. It seems he’s gonna carry it to the trial.”</p><p>“Anything else?”</p><p>“Uh, Chiaki saw a dark figure heading out of the Hotel complex at 5:45 AM. She stayed up all night playing video games… again, according to her.”</p><p>“Hmm, maybe that same person tried using this..” I motioned my hand to draw attention to the arcade machine.</p><p>“Did… someone try to use that? I saw it earlier and thought it’d be impossible to play.”</p><p>“It is, but someone tried anyway. I have no idea why they’d try with all the security in place. The question is, is this figure the same person in all three instances? We have the video, the arcade machine, and Chiaki.</p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong*</p><p>The tvs flashed to life, “The time for unparalleled hedonism… has come to an end… Come! Now is the time to fight the decisive battle! The hostility of fresh blood! The insanity of a contest of wits! The class trial is finally raising its curtain! Soooo, meet up… in front of Monokuma Rock! Once you’re there, please proceed to the underground by taking the elevator located at the secret entrance. Puhuhu, I’ll see you soon!” Then the tvs turned off. Does Monokuma always have to be this extra? What’s wrong with just telling us to meet at Monokuma Rock and stopping there?</p><p>Regardless, me and Hajime walked to Monokuma Rock together. For once, Hajime wasn’t last because we were right next to the place. We watched as one by one the remaining classmates arrived at Monokuma Rock.</p><p>“Nooooo! Lemme go! Help meeee!” pleaded Hiyoko. “Waaaaaaaaaaah! He’s gonna do something crazy to me! I’ll be ruined!”</p><p>“Hey, shut up and stay put! You stubborn little lolita!” said Monokuma. I guess Hiyoko didn’t want to go to the trial.</p><p>“H-Hey! Stop harassing little girls!” said Monomi.</p><p>“Th-This is… what’s going on?” said Hajime. I guess Hajime doesn’t pick up on context clues.</p><p>“Hiyoko was trying to run away, so Monokuma brought her here by force… But Hiyoko’s still trying to run away, so Monokuma’s trying to wrap her in a full nelson…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“*huff* I tried to run after her… *puff* but she’s quite fast even in that kimono!” said Nagito, hunched over.</p><p>“But she’s not faster than Monokuma…”</p><p>“Hey! If you don’t stay put, I’m gonna make you a part of this island’s food chain!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“There’s… not any wildlife here…” said Teruteru.</p><p>“I was talking about me, fry cook!” Monokuma then got Hiyoko under control so she stopped struggling. “Jeez, making me waste my sweet-ass time… But there’s another problem to deal with besides this one… Where the heck is Fuyuhiko!? That guy… he totally ditched! He totally ditched my appointment! He… pisses… me off… more than… Byakuya!” I’ll take that as a compliment. Monokuma then got so angry that muscles started forming from his body and he looked like a circus strongman. It was an… unnerving sight to say the least.</p><p>“Eeek! His anger changed his form!” shouted Ibuki.</p><p>“...I’m right here,” said Fuyuhiko, nonchalantly walking towards the group.</p><p>“..Ah-huh?” said Monokuma, still seething with anger.</p><p>“Ah, Fuyuhiko, you came… I was worried about you,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“There’s nowhere for me to run, anyway…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Well, I’m glad you’re here. That means we can get this over with…” said I.</p><p>“I guess everyone’s here, so let us depart now!” said Monokuma. “I’ll go first and be one step ahead of you guys!” Then he vanished.</p><p>“C-Crap… I’m not mentally prepared yet…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Grow a spine… You saw what happened to Mikan, you all saw! You can do it again,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“I… did not expect words of encouragement from him,” siad Teruteru.</p><p>“Neither did I, but at least he’s harnessing his energy! C’mon, bring out that energyyyyyyy!” shouted Nekomaru. I don’t know where he got all this energy from, but I’m okay with it. Maybe he finally moved past Akane.</p><p>“Where did you get all that energy from?” said I.</p><p>“I thought about Akane… and she’d want me to go into a trial with spirit! So that is what I intend on doing!”</p><p>“So it begins… the beginning of the end…” said Gundham.</p><p>“Now then, let’s keep our spirits high! So we can one day find that shining hope!” said Nagito.</p><p>“Th-That’s right… Everyone, listen to the Peasant!” whispered Hiyoko under her breath. I only heard her because I was right next to her.</p><p>So once again, the rock roared at us and one of the Monokumas in the mountain vomited an escalator at us. Nekomaru quickly rushed aboard followed by Hajime and myself. Monomi was also there and said something, but I could care less about whatever that rabbit has to say.</p><p>We were back in the elevator but this time, we were missing two more. The room was dead silent except for the clunking and humming of the elevator. I slowly looked around the elevator. Nagito had Hiyoko in one arm, Nekomaru was getting himself pumped in the corner, Teruteru was sweating bullets, Gundham and Fuyuhiko leaned against the elevator walls, and the rest stood silently with a thousand yard stare.</p><p>*ding* The elevator stopped and the doors swung open.</p><p>I broke the silence and said, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…”</p><p>The “courtroom” looked differently from the last time we’d been in here. The first time, it was a fairly standard courtroom looking room. Now, it looks like a beach setting.</p><p>“Aim! Defeat the boring routine!” said Monokuma from his throne. “...Sooooo, I’ve decided to start redecorating. How’s it look? Mr. Monokuma’s redecoration is awesome, isn’t it? It’s not like I’d allow you to think otherwise anyway!”</p><p>“I can call it ugly. There’s no rule against it,” said I.</p><p>“Oh I’m gonna be so happy to see your entrails scattered across a room! C’mon, Byakuya, kill someone, because the more you exist, the more I want to disembowel you.”</p><p>“Are you sure it is wise to anger Monokuma?” said Sonia.</p><p>“I’m not breaking any rules which means he can’t do anything about me. It’s completely fine.”</p><p>Monokuma then growled at me.</p><p>“Oh, I see…”</p><p>“Now then, what was I saying…?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Uhh, decorations…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Oh yes… Anyway, I would say a whole speech about how having a purpose is meaningless and all that and you’re all probably gonna die, but you have two people throwing a wrench into my plans so that’s not gonna work. So, enjoy the class trial from the bottom of your heeeeeaaaaarts!”</p><p>And so it begins… the second class trial. Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer… she was hard on the boys and very good at taking care of people. Both her and I saw to Hiyoko when no one else wanted to and made sure she didn’t get her own medicine reflected onto her. If I was Class Dad, she was Class Mom and most importantly… she was very straightforward.</p><p>The person who killed her is in this room. I didn’t want to do this song and dance routine again, but I have to. Once again, I’m powerless to fully stop a murder so it is my duty to make sure the others survive. It’s easier the second time which is a morbid way to say I’m getting used to this. If everyone is having the same feeling, then all of our heads are in the game. I’m ready… who dares, wins!</p><p> </p><p>CLASS TRIAL<br/>
ALL RISE</p><p> </p><p>“Now then, let’s begin with a simple explanation of the class trial,” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Do we really have to do this again?” said I.</p><p>“I’m gonna ignore you and continue. During the class trial, you will present your arguments for who the killer is, and vote for “whodunnit.” If you vote correctly, then only the blackened will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong person… I’ll punish everyone *besides* the blackened, and that person will earn the right to leave this island!”</p><p>“O-O-Oh… No matter how many times I hear it, it’s such a cruel rule!” said Monomi.</p><p>“Lucky you. Everytime I hear it, I just get annoyed,” said I.</p><p>“Your willingness to spit in the eyes of the demon bear had been noted, Byakuya. You are quite a formidable person!” said Gundham.</p><p>“Okay…”</p><p>“Alright… where do we start?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“With Nekomaru! He killed Mahiru!” said Hiyoko, pointing a finger at Nekomaru.</p><p>“Alright, let’s hear it…” said I.</p><p>“I-I didn’t kill Mahiru… it wasn’t me!” said Nekomaur.</p><p>“Yes it was you… you… you… big brute!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Before we divulge into chaos, Nekomaru, lay out your story,” said I.</p><p>“Alright… I went into the Diner to remember Akane, okay?”</p><p>“The Hotel was closed and in turn, the Restaurant. Is that why you were in there?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Precisely. I entered the Diner and Mahiru soon came in. We exchanged some words and we left.”</p><p>“Umm, you’re leaving a big portion out of your story, Nekomaru,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Are you going to say it, or let one of us say it?” said I.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on… Alright, I came into the Diner about thirty or so minutes before it got locked down. Mahiru came in and started… started talking about Akane and h-how I should, “act like a man.” Now, I got angry and I uhh I may have umm… punched her to the ground…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Didn’t you just say to me yesterday that you gave her a concussion?”</p><p>“I did. I just wanted to give the full story… Ya know, so we don’t have to talk about this again…”</p><p>“There! See, he killed Mahiru by punching her!” shouted Hiyoko.</p><p>“No, that’s wrong!” said Hajime. “Mahiru’s time of death would’ve said she died around noon if Nekomaru did kill her on the spot. The Monokuma File states that she died early this morning, not yesterday afternoon.” Hiyoko’s response to this was pouting and folding her arms.</p><p>“Well, since Nekomaru didn’t kill Mahiru yesterday, couldn't he have done it early this morning?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“I don’t really see a point to killing someone you had ample time to kill. Think of this, if Nekomaru wanted to kill Mahiru, then he had over twelve hours worth of wiggle room. Why on Earth would he choose to kill her early in the morning especially since you and Byakuya are usually up at that time?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“What Kazuichi says is true, Teruteru. Mahiru died at 6AM and we were both up at that time,” said I.</p><p>“Oh, I see. I still think it’s just a strange time to go kill someone. Wouldn’t you get noticed?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Hmm, that reminds me, Hajime, you talked with Chiaki, correct?” </p><p>“Eh..? Oh, yeah…!” said Hajime. “I see where this is going, Chiaki, remind us what you saw early this morning.”</p><p>“Hmm…? Oh… yeah. It was 5:45 according to the clock on my dual screen,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Were you up all night playing video games?” said I.</p><p>“...Yeah.”</p><p>“Alright, what did you see?”</p><p>“I saw… a figure pass by my window. My cottage is right next to the entrance to the complex… so it was easy to see them…” Chiaki then drooped her head, ready to fall asleep.</p><p>“Pardon me, but I think she fell asleep,” said Sonia. Sure enough, she was sleeping while standing up. I motioned my arm behind her, ready to catch her.</p><p>“Chiaki?” No response.</p><p>I then snapped my fingers in her face a couple times. “Uh, wha-!? No! Don’t shoot me… No… Oh, am I dead?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Unless you’re a non-corporeal entity here to stalk the living, then I don’t think so,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Chiaki, can you talk more about this figure?” said I.</p><p>“Oh, yeah… Umm, it was average height… Th-That’s all I got… Can I go back to sleep?” said Chiaki. She’s in no state to stand and although I can stand behind her all trial long, I don’t want to.</p><p>“Just… lay down first…”</p><p>“Okay…” Chiaki then layed on the floor and entered the dream world.</p><p>“Now that Sleeping Beauty is fast asleep, can we get on with this shit?” said Fuyuhiko. “Seeing as how this figure was average height, where does that get us?”</p><p>“It means they couldn’t be small or too big,” said Hajime. “This makes you, Nekomaru, Hiyoko, and Teruteru free of suspicion.”</p><p>“Bastard! Are you calling me small!? I’ll fucking end you if you’re calling me small!”</p><p>“Relax, Fuyuhiko, it’s for your own good,” said I.</p><p>“As I was saying, this figure couldn’t be big or small,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Might I ask, how relevant is this figure?” said Peko.</p><p>“Well,” said I, “this figure could’ve killed Mahiru. There are two known figures that have been spotted during the night. One was by Chiaki at the front gate and the other was on Mahiru’s video camera. Hiyoko, did you share with everyone that… video?”</p><p>“Y-Yeah… I-I’m not stupid,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“What if both of these figures are two different people?” said Peko.</p><p>“It’s hard to know, but what we do know is that one of them disturbed the area near the arcade machine.”</p><p>“After all those layers of protection, who would dare even attempt to play that machine?” said Gundham.</p><p>Wait a second. I found dry blood on the machine. “Everyone, please place your hands over your podiums in full view of everyone.”</p><p>“Uhh… what for?” said Kazuichi, putting his hands in front of the machine.</p><p>Everyone put their hands out and I could see all their fingers in full view. Everyone except…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everyone. I sprained my wrist and that's why this is a little slower than usual.</p><p>In other news, I beat Silent Hill 2. Since you're reading this, you know who's dead and no, I'm not sorry for killing off Mahiru. Truth be told, I never really liked her all that much. Well, I liked her more than Mikan at least.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nagito…</p><p>Of course, out of all people, it just had to be him. He reluctantly gave way to my commands and put his hands over the podium and allowed us all to see the small bandages on his fingers.</p><p>“It just had to be you, didn’t it?” said Hajime.</p><p>“I just had to see… Byakuya said that with all my luck, I can do anything, so I decided to attempt to beat Twilight Syndrome,” said Nagito.</p><p>“So, you are the “average” figure Chiaki saw cross her window?” said Sonia.</p><p>Chiaki mumbled in her sleep saying, “...In my restless dreams. *snore* I see… that town.” Everyone acknowledged that she talked, but no one decided to pay attention to it.</p><p>“I… guess I am,” said Nagito. “I really should've expected the Ultimate Gamer to be up at such an ungodly hour.”</p><p>Chiaki talked in her sleep again saying, “I need… medic… bag… *snore*”</p><p>“That’s gonna get annoying…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Ya know, Ibuki thinks it’s kinda cute!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“To me, it reminds me of the time I repeated a workout schedule to a softball player so much, she started reciting it in her sleep,” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“The Hell was she sayin’?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Pushup, 20, three to the left, four to the right, crunch, 15, and things that only me and her could understand.”</p><p>“Can we… get back on track?” said Peko.</p><p>“Alright… So, the figure Chiaki saw was of Nagito?”</p><p>Chiaki spoke again, “Whether we… wanted it or not… we stepped into war…”</p><p>“Ok, everyone, let’s not say her name nor her talent and maybe she won’t speak again,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Agreed, we know who the figure is, so who was the person Mahiru heard?” said I.</p><p>“Well, it had to be someone who could fit through the window, that eliminates you, Nekomaru, and Teruteru, and if that person is the figure... *she* saw, that eliminates Hiyoko and Fuyuhiko,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Doesn’t that mean… Peasant… Did you kill my Mahiru!?” yelled Hiyoko.</p><p>“What!? No!? I didn’t! I just played the game and cut my fingers then left!” said Nagito.</p><p>“Hmm, I honestly doubt Nagito could’ve killed Mah-” said I.</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey! Aren’t we forgetting what Nagito did the first time!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Ya know, the whole, “bringing out a knife in the middle of the party” incident…”</p><p>“If we looked at everyone solely for their mistakes, every German would be called a Nazi. What’s your point?”</p><p>“We know Nagito is basically insane and almost everyone still distrusts him, right? He broke down the first time we cornered him. If we do it again, we can get him to confess!”</p><p>“He hasn’t done anything as stupid as that in a while. The most insane thing he's done these past couple days was allowing himself to be covered in silly string.”</p><p>“Exactly! He hasn’t done anything stupid in a while. So, what’s stopping him from going to the Diner to kill Mahiru, huh? He was in Jabberwock Park!” Yep, and Kazuichi said something he should’ve thought more on.</p><p>“Tut, tut, tut. Tell me, how did Nagito get out of bed at 5:45 in the morning, go the Jabberwock Park and play Twilight Syndrome, get his fingers cut open, bandage his fingers, go to the Diner, climb in through the window, kill Mahiru, climb out, and return to his cottage all before 6AM?”</p><p>“Who’s to say that he bandaged his fingers during the night? He could've done that this morning after 6!”</p><p>“No he couldn't. There was a lack of blood in the Diner’s kitchen. The only bodily fluid that was there was Mahiru’s vomit.”</p><p>“Wuh...We… Uh… Wait! T-Then he cleaned it up!”</p><p>“And wasted even more time at the Diner? There’s no way he could’ve done all of that within fifteen minutes.”</p><p>“Um… If I may, I even beat the game I think,” said Nagito.</p><p>And Chiaki spoke again, “No, no… *snore* Dwight, don’t! That’s not Ruin… it’s… it’s Haunted…”</p><p>“I guess that’s another word not to say…” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Anyway, what do you mean, Nagito?” said I.</p><p>“Umm, I got a bunch of pictures…” said Nagito, holding one out. It was of Mikan, Ibuki, Mahiru, and Hiyoko. They were in a school uniform of sorts and in a school-looking hallway.</p><p>“Uhh, Ibuki doesn’t remember this…!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Yeah, and neither do I. Like I’d be caught in the same picture with that murderous pig barf!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Well now,” said Monokuma. “I guess you guys have short term memory… Do you not recall what I said to you that one night?”</p><p>“Which night!?”</p><p>“Aww, c’mon, you forgot it? I did a whole stand-up comedy sketch just to give you the important plot point of your memories being stolen!”</p><p>“Oh… so these are….” said Nagito.</p><p>“Yep, photos from a time best left forgotten, for a reason…”</p><p>“Umm, I have one question…”</p><p>“Hit me with it! But don’t actually, or else you’d die!”</p><p>“One of these pictures has a… a dead girl in it.”</p><p>“A dead person!?” screamed Ibuki.</p><p>“Who is it?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“They don’t look like anyone here…” said Nagito, passing the photo around.</p><p>“It’s best just to ignore these photos. They were related to the other motive but some fatass ruined that plan…” said Monokuma.</p><p>The photo got to Fuyuhiko and he dropped it. He put his hand over mouth and tears began forming.</p><p>“F-Fuyuhiko…?” said I.</p><p>“N-No… it can’t be. You’re lying,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Oh but I don’t and if I do, that’s not really me!” said Monokuma. That was… cryptic.</p><p>“Y-You… FUCKING BASTARD!!! DID YOU DO THIS SHIT!!!??” Fuyuhiko then charged up to Monokuma’s throne.</p><p>“Phuhuhuhu… no I didn’t but someone who was on this island helped do it!”</p><p>“Which one of you did it, huh!?”</p><p>“Did what? Who’s dead in that picture?” said Hajime.</p><p>“That fucking picture is of my sister!”</p><p>“Oh! Maybe I won’t tell you all who killed Fuyuhiko’s precious sister… I think I can still salvage this, Byakuya!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Unlikely… if we’re going by the other pictures Nagito has, we’re down half the suspects and Ibuki and Hiyoko don’t seem like they can murder people. Also, because you said “was” it’s best to assume that they are dead. That means either Mikan or Mahiru helped kill Fuyuhiko’s sister,” said I.</p><p>“Wait… yeah, yeah… he’s right,” said Fuyuhiko, calming down.</p><p>“Rawr!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“What are you doing?” said I.</p><p>“I’m growling at you because I hate you so much!”</p><p>“Well… you need to be more intimidating than that. Maybe you should get Nekomaru to help you scream. He certainly doesn’t know what an inside voice is.”</p><p>“I’m gonna get you and I’m gonna make it look like an accident! It was Mahiru, okay!? Geez…”</p><p>“Mahiru did this shit!? She helped kill her? How!?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Simple coverup, I believe. I don’t exactly remember. I was gonna have you guys play Twilight Syndrome to help jog my memory, but…” Monokuma glared at me.</p><p>Chiaki stood up from her nap, “Was anyone screaming. I thought it was just my dream. Sgt. Foley can be really loud sometimes…”</p><p>“Fuyuhiko found out his sister passed on from this mortal plane in a difficult way,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Oh… Fuyuhiko, you okay?”</p><p>“Naw, I’m pretty fucking far from okay…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Oh… I’m sorry for your loss.”</p><p>“T-Thanks…”</p><p>“Alright… I’m awake now. So, what have we found out?”</p><p>“The figure you saw was Nagito,” said Sonia.</p><p>“And the best man on the island, Byakuya Togami, just proved that Nagito didn’t kill Mahiru!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“That means Nagito, Teruteru, Nekomaru, and myself are off the table,” said I.</p><p>“*sigh* We have no way of knowing how Mahiru died, we have no murder weapon, and we don’t know who distrubed Mahiru…” said Teruteru.</p><p>“So what? We’re at a standstill?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“It appears so…” said Gundham.</p><p>“Oh, does that mean it’s voting time!?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Who do we vote for? We have no one. Anyone could’ve snuck in through the window and slain Mahiru,” said Peko.</p><p>Hiyoko burst into tears and ran to Nagito saying, “I don’t wanna die!” Nagito took an arm and pushed her closer.</p><p>“We have no leads, how do we-” said I, catching a glimpse of something.</p><p>“Byakuya?” said Sonia.<br/>“Uhh, are you gonna finish that sentence?” said Teruteru.</p><p>There it was, a lead! I looked at Hiyoko crying on Nagito. Nagito himself looked very confused why I was staring at him, but I looked further down. And no, I wasn’t looking at his crotch, you filthy minds, I was looking at Hiyoko. There it was: a greenish stain on her kimono, right on her stomach.</p><p>“Hiyoko?” said I.</p><p>“Y-Yeah…?” said Hiyoko, through tears.</p><p>“Why do you have a greenish stain on your kimono?” Hajime’s eyes opened wide.</p><p>“What!? It’s… It’s nothing…” the tears slightly faded.</p><p>“Mahiru vomited out the window of the Diner. It had a greenish color. You visited Mahiru last, didn’t you Hiyoko?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Checkmate! We got her! Hiyoko killed Mahiru,” said Kazuichi, uproariously.</p><p>“Does… that mean we vote now?” said Terutertu.</p><p>Hiyoko’s tears returned as she backed away from Nagito. “WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!” With a wail like that, I think you revived Mahiru.</p><p>“Yeah, there we go! We broke her, how do we vote?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“I… *sniff* didn’t kill Mahiru! WAAAAAH!!!!” Words can’t describe how loud and painful her screams are. You’re honestly the lucky ones to be reading this instead of hearing it.</p><p>“Ah, geez! Someone shut her up please!” said Monokuma, covering his ears.</p><p>“Modo finitur!” said Gundham, smacking Hiyoko’s forehead. She instantly shut up and was stunned. “You may continue…”</p><p>“Thank you, Gundham. Hiyoko, why were you visiting Mahiru last night?” said I.</p><p>“I *sniff* just wanted to… see Mahiru…” said Hiyoko. “The bow on my kimono got loose and she is the only one who could tie it…”</p><p>“Well that’s incorrect, I can tie one…”</p><p>“Y-You can..!?” Hiyoko perked up real quick.</p><p>“Yes… Now, why didn’t you say you visited Mahiru earlier if you said through your tears that you didn’t kill her?”</p><p>“Well… it happened! I knew it would happen!”</p><p>“Knew what? What would happen?”</p><p>“You blamed me so easy for the death of Akane, so you’d easily blame me for killing Mahiru if I told everyone that I visited her!” Hiyoko’s tears turned into anger.</p><p>“Not to be rude or anything, but honestly, I think you’re too small to kill anyone, especially with how Mahiru looked.”</p><p>“Wow! Okay! That was mega-rude Ham Hands!” And just like that, she shifted gears.</p><p>“I think we’re ignoring the glorifying problem with accusing Hiyoko of killing Mahiru,” said Nagito.</p><p>“And that is?” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Why on Earth would you kill your best friend?”</p><p>“...Some devils hide their faces,” said Gundham, cryptically.</p><p>“Wait, if Mahiru was in a weakened state due to Nekomaru… couldn’t Hiyoko easily kill her!?” said Kazuichi. I appear to have overlooked something.</p><p>“No, I don’t think so,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Oh, c’mon, she totally killed her!”</p><p>“Are you going to supply that or just leave it as is?” said I.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on… Hiyoko could’ve easily snuck into the Diner… and crawled in through the window. Because she was seen as a friend to Mahiru… Hiyoko was allowed inside. Mahiru was also weakened from Nekomaru… and that could easily allow her to overpower her!”</p><p>“Okay… with what weapon?” said Hajime.</p><p>“I don’t know, man... Maybe she strangled her or, or, smothered her. All we know is… Hiyoko definitely went through that window to kill Mahiru. Can you think of anything else?”</p><p>“I’ll cut through those words with this!”</p><p>“Wh-Wha…?”</p><p>“Cut the theatrics, Hajime, and get on with it!” said I.</p><p>“Look at Hiyoko’s kimono,” said Hajime.</p><p>“What about it?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“See how it’s properly tied?” At that moment, I saw several people draw their conclusions.</p><p>“Yeah… and…?”</p><p>“Who’s the only person Hiyoko knows on this island that could tie her kimono for her?”</p><p>“Well that would be… ooooooohhhhh.”</p><p>“Finally…” scoffed Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Doesn’t that mean she could've just killed her after she tied her kimono?”</p><p>“For fuck sake, dipshit, she doesn’t have motive. Why would you kill one of the only people on this island actually on your side!? I just found out that my sister could be dead and I’m stuck here in a room full of IDIOTS while the only two people with functional brains try to show the halfwits who did it! So, everyone, please… don’t be that shark-looking motherfucker wearing a yellow, mechanic suit and pink hair. For once in your fucking lives think!”</p><p>“But I was-” Nagito began to say.</p><p>“Don’t…” said I, cancelling his speech.</p><p>The room was now dead quiet. No one dared speak a word after Fuyuhiko’s outburst and you know what, he deserves the silence. Yes, he may have been seen as a brat for the short time we’ve been here, but now he’s got a reason to be angry. I really hope that deep down, those pictures are false. You’re stuck on an island with strangers and apparently, you’ve lost years of memory and one of those memories was your sister being murdered. This man needs space after today’s events.</p><p>I scanned the room and saw that many had their heads down while the rest didn’t speak. Even Monokuma and Monomi didn’t say a word. The faces that usually held smiles such as Ibuki and Teruteru were now gone. I couldn’t tell if half of them were thinking or just waiting for someone to break the ice. If anyone’s going to do it, it must be me I guess… This is apparently what I’m good at...</p><p>“Did anyone… think of anything… or is everyone waiting for someone to speak first?” said I.</p><p>“I… I…” said Nekomaru. We all looked at the muscular man attempting to form words.</p><p>Instead of words, we got action. He dropped to his knees and put his hands on his face. He began to… cry? Everyone looked on in confusion.</p><p>“Wh-What is it!?” Ibuki said, surprised.</p><p>“Are you alright, Nekomaru?” said Sonia.</p><p>He continued to wail as he dropped his body to the floor, making a noticeable “thud” upon collision. </p><p>“What did you find out, Nekomaru?” said I...</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I don't know what to put here and I don't feel like leaving the end notes empty.</p><p>Uhh, Territorial Imperative!</p><p>You see, I scared my friend who's reading this. He'll get to this chapter eventually...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What did you figure out?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Did… he kill Mahiru!?” announced Teruteru.</p><p>“I… I…” is all that came from Nekomaru’s mouth followed by more fits of wailing and tears.</p><p>“Speak, dammit!” said I. Eugh… got carried away there.</p><p>“I d-did it…!” He said through tears.</p><p>“He...He claims he killed Mahiru…” The room went quiet and I looked at Hiyoko. I was expecting an, “I told you so!” but she said nothing and her face spelled worry.</p><p>“W-What…!? What the fuck!?” shouted Kazuichi. “Did he really punch her that hard!?”</p><p>“No, no, Mahiru died at six in the morning and the attack happened at around noon. It can’t be,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Then how was this person slain if they weren’t in the room?” said Gundham.</p><p>“Alright everyone, we have to retrace our steps and think of Nekomaru as the killer!” said I.</p><p>“Screw that, why the fuck don’t we vote right now?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Nekomaru is in no state to defend himself nor speak. If he’s thinking wrong, we all die.”</p><p>“What if he is wrong? Where do we go from there?” said Sonia.</p><p>I looked directly at Hiyoko and said, “...We’ll get there when we get there.”</p><p>“I don’t think a punch from Nekomaru could kill you, even if his hands are the size of frying pans,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“It is circumstantial. There isn’t a very good way of detecting if Nekomaru can punch someone dead…” said Peko.</p><p>“What, are you saying you don’t believe him?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“No, I am simply saying that he could be wrong about himself.”</p><p>“C’mon, he’s rolling on the floor like a baby and confessing. Believe him, now!”</p><p>“...Y-Yes, ma-, Fuyuhiko.”</p><p>“Hey! What are you doing!? Are you really threatening people just to get them on your side!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Oh shut the fuck up, gremlin!” said Fuyuhiko. That comment then sent everyone into a yelling fit. It was nearly impossible to make out what anyone was saying. This entire time, Hajime was dead silent and Nekomaru was still crying on the floor.</p><p>“Everyone…!? Quiet down, all of you!” said I, but no one heard me.</p><p>“Hey, hey!” shouted someone next to me. Everyone shut up for that voice.</p><p>I never expected Chiaki to get loud, but, here we are.</p><p>“Thank you…” said I.</p><p>“Okay… everyone in favor of saying Nekomaru is innocent, raise your hand.” Everyone but Hajime, Peko, Fuyuhiko, and I raised their hand... and Nekomaru, of course, didn’t raise his hand. Hajime honestly appeared lost in thought and a couple seconds later, he looked like he had a “Eureka!” moment.</p><p>“That’s 8-5 in favor of saying he’s innocent. Now what?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“...Let’s let the five against favor explain why.”</p><p>“First, Peko, do you honestly believe that Nekomaru is guilty?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Yes…” said Peko, who looked at Fuyuhiko before answering.</p><p>“No, what do you believe in? Don’t factor in that milk-drinker!”</p><p>“Err… uhhmm… Can I… be neutral?”</p><p>“*sigh* Fine… Alright, which one of you dunderheads is gonna speak first?”</p><p>“The big guy is confessing already. If he says he did it, he did it,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“He could be thinking wrong… or trying to defend the person who actually did it!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Tch. Believe in whatever the fuck you want, I say we vote him up. Hey, Build-A-Bear! Can we get a vote going?”</p><p>“Everyone must be in agreement on voting! Sorry, Babies-R-Us, but you ain’t gettin’ a vote going,” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Hajime, Byakuya, do you wish to partake in your reasoning?” said Gundham.</p><p>“I… do…” said Nekomaru, getting to his knees.</p><p>“Hmm, the beast rises…”</p><p>“I-I killed Mahiru Koizumi…”</p><p>“And how did you commit such an act?”</p><p>“With… With my fists… M-My right one to be exact.”</p><p>“Where was it done?”</p><p>“The kitchen… of the Diner.”</p><p>“We already know this, worm! We are missing a cause of death. Now, unless you have nothing informative to say, I suggest you will be banished to silence for the rest of this trial! ...To save your own soul, of course.”</p><p>“I know the cause of death…” said Hajime.</p><p>“What is it!?”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“Speak, damn you!”</p><p>“...Internal bleeding. The cause of death was from her brain hemorrhaging. That’s why there was no blood at the scene and why Mahiru died hours later. It was all internal…” The room was silent and Nekomaru finally stood up.</p><p>“A… An injury like that would've required immediate medical attention but… she was locked inside the Diner!” said I.</p><p>“Nekomaru? Is… Is that what you thought of in the silence?” said Sonia.</p><p>“*sniff* Kinda… I thought it was a concussion, but I was wrong. The symptoms are so similar I thought…” said Nekomaru. “I-I know what comes next. I only hope it’s not as bad as what happened to Mikan.”</p><p>I began to go over the incident, “So… The killer entered the Diner yesterday to remember Akane. Mahiru entered and angered them so they punched Mahiru to the floor and caused an internal hemorrhage unbeknownst to both parties. The killer themself thought it was just a concussion. The killer apologized for the attack and soon left the Diner, leaving Mahiru inside. Noon passed and the doors to the Diner were locked down, leaving her stranded inside with no hope for help as she fumbled around, dazed and confused. She had several check ups by some passersby who wished her good luck… but she would never make it through the night. Mahiru vomited out the window at some point and laid down on the floor of the Diner’s kitchen during the early morning. She began to record a video but soon, someone came to the window. It was Hiyoko and as she climbed through the window, she got Mahiru’s vomit on her kimono. During this, Nagito went to Jabberwock Park to play the arcade game that was the old motive and came back with photos beyond our knowledge.</p><p>Hiyoko left and Nagito returned to his cottage, leaving Mahiru alone again. As the sun rose, her life faded and she died where she lay from blood overtaking her brain. She was then discovered hours later by Hiyoko, Hajime, and I…</p><p>Is that it, Nekomaru Nidai?”</p><p>“Yeah… that’s it…”</p><p>“Okay… Monokuma, we’re ready…”</p><p>“Ah, splendid! I think I fell asleep halfway through. Hey Monomi, you awake?” said Monokuma. There was no answer from the rabbit. “She’s not… Good! Now then, please pull the lever in front of you and cast your vote. Who will be chosen as the blackened!? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!? Puhuhu! Such heart-pounding excitement!”</p><p>I selected Nekomaru’s icon and pulled my lever. It sounded like a casino for a few seconds. Everyone looked hollow inside knowing that Mahiru died of an accident and Nekomaru was set to die.</p><p>Class Trial End<br/>ALL RISE</p><p>“Correct again!” shouted Monokuma. “The blackened responsible for killing Mahiru Koizumi is none other than Nekomaru Nidai!”</p><p>Nekomaru gave bitter silence.</p><p>“Wait! It was an accident, doesn’t he get to live?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Nope, a kill is a kill! It doesn’t matter if it’s first degree, second degree, or manslaughter, as long as someone ends up dead, it’s your kill!”</p><p>“Oh, c’mon, that can’t be fair!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Put a pacifier in your mouth if you gon’ act like such a baby! Them’s the rules and I will carry out the rules. We’re even getting to the best part!”</p><p>“So… I guess this is goodbye…” said Nekomaru.</p><p>“Ibuki wants a hug!” said Ibuki, running up and hugging Nekomaru.</p><p>“Uhh… okay…?”</p><p>“Ahh… Ibuki knew it, those pecs are soft!”</p><p>“Umm, alrighty then…” Nekomaru turned to Hiyoko. “Hey, Hiyoko…?”</p><p>“Y-Yeah…?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I’m sorry for killing your best friend…”</p><p>“...I’m sorry for killing yours.”</p><p>The two embraced and Nekomaru picked her up. As they hugged, Nekomaru nodded towards Monokuma and he rushed to get out his gavel and big red button.</p><p>“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! It’s PUNISHMENT TIIIIIME!” shouted Monokuma.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/>Nekomaru has been found guilty<br/>Time for the punishment!<br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>All of us were led through corridors towards a door. When we opened the door, we were met with a school gymnasium. We were escorted to the bleachers and we all sat down. Nekomaru was standing on the gym floor along with eleven… robots? Five of them were dressed like him and on his side and there were six wearing red shirts on the other side. Monokuma, wearing a baseball cap and whistle on a chain, came in carrying a ball bag and placed several rhino skin dodgeballs on the floor in between the two sides. Nekomaru smiled as he knew what was happening. </p><p> </p><p>Ultimate Team Manager, Nekomaru Nidai’s Execution:</p><p>HEADSHOTS ALLOWED</p><p> </p><p>Monokuma blew his whistle and everyone rushed to the center of the gym to get the balls. As this happens, he also placed a sign that says, “Round 1” followed by two dots on opposite sides of the sign. It was a game of dodgeball and Nekomaru was thrilled to be in it. The entire time, he was commanding his army of robots. He was living out his duty as a team manager, it seemed. Everyone else in the class was getting into it too, and soon, Nekomaru’s team took the first round and we all cheered.</p><p>Monokuma tweeted the whistle again and round two began. A blue dot lit up on one side of the sign. The balls were thrown at such a velocity, that I think they’d break your nose. I also began to notice that all of the robots were aiming for the head. As Nekomaru was commanding his legion, he got slammed by a rhino skin that gave him a bloody nose. He went over to the bench and continued to throw orders at his team. This time, however, it wasn’t enough and the red team took round two.</p><p>A red dot lit up and now it was match point. Monokuma blew the whistle for a third time and all of Nekomaru’s robots took off their coats and revealed red shirts that they were wearing underneath. They walked to the other side of the gym and Nekomaru was alone against eleven robots. They all rushed the line and started pelting him with the dodgeballs, each one causing Nekomaru to react with pain. Monokuma then released the ball bag he was holding and emptied its contents all over the gym.</p><p>Many different balls from many different sports littered the gym floor including baseballs, footballs, lacrosse balls, golfballs, and even a bowling ball. The robots picked up these objects and began hurling them at Nekomaru, even crossing the line in the center of the gym solely to get more accuracy. They kept aiming for the head too. As this was happening, we sat there in horror. One robot left the group to go to the ball bag to retrieve a golf club. It was a driver and all of the robots stopped throwing balls to look at them.</p><p>They all stared at the one holding the club as he walked closer to Nekomaru. Nekomaru reached out a hand to the club-wielding robot and was met with hesitation. The robot then proceeded to beat Nekomaru to death with the club. As more blood exited his body, the more the robots cheered. The room was silent except for the thuds coming from the golf club hitting his body and the bitter murmurs that came from Nekomaru. After a few minutes, Nekomaru stopped moving and the robots picked back up whatever was right next to them and continued their onslaught of raining Hell on him with the sporting equipment.</p><p>A robot threw a golf ball directly at Nekomaru’s head. It bounced off it and flew into the bleachers where we sat, nearly hitting me in the process. It was a little to my right… but someone else was to my right. I turned around and saw Fuyuhiko screaming in pain while holding his eye. Peko and I tried to help him while the rest were glued to Nekomaru’s dead body. </p><p>Monokuma blew the whistle and the robots fled into what seemed to be a locker room. We all looked at Nekomaru and saw his battered black and blue body in a sea of his own blood. You couldn’t even recognize his own face because it was beaten so hard. We were then ushered out of the room and my final glance into the gym before I left was of a bent and bloody golf club. I didn’t want to look at Nekomaru again. We reentered the courtroom and everyone’s attention was fixated on Fuyuhiko, yelling obscenities.</p><p>“This cannot be! Even Fuyuhiko!?” said Sonia.</p><p>“*cough* Not… yet… Fuck this hurts…!” said Fuyuhiko, still clutching his eye.</p><p>“This is bad… Th-This is reeeeally bad…” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Please! Is there anywhere we can take him!?” pleaded Peko.</p><p>“W-W-We have just a Pharmacy! I don’t think we have a Hospital!” said Nagito.</p><p>“He’s still alive…! Monokuma, you have to open another island, now!” commanded Monomi.</p><p>“Wow… I didn’t think you actually had a commanding tone!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Well… I do! Now, save Fuyuhiko or else you’d be breaking the rules!”</p><p>“Pfft… what rule? I say let him die! Yeah, yeah it may not be his fault, but you guys are kinda slow at killing each other and I’m getting impatient!”</p><p>“Byakuya, please read Rule 6 in your Student Handbook.”</p><p>“Fine…” said I, getting out my Handbook. “If the blackened is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed…!” Oh, I see the game you’re playing, Monomi.</p><p>“See? You can’t let him die! If only the blackened gets executed, then Fuyuhiko shouldn’t be allowed to be executed…!” You know, I’m not entirely sure if I actually read the Killing Game Rules… Maybe I should’ve. “I would do something about it right now… But since my Magic Stick was taken away… I’m practically powerless… But you, you should be able to do it!”</p><p>“Jeez! I guess I have no choice!” said Monokuma. “Well, there’s no way I can violate a rule, even if it’s me… Fine then! I’ll save him!</p><p>“R-Really!?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Heh… I was actually gonna do that all along!” Sure buddy, whatever you say, “So I’ve already prepared for this!”</p><p>“Huh? Prepared?” said Monomi.</p><p>Just then, we heard a distant siren growing louder and louder, closer and closer.</p><p>“I swear if that siren is an ambulance…” said Teruteru.</p><p>Just then, an ambulance burst onto the scene.</p><p>“Ha-wa-wa!? An ambulance!?” said Monomi.</p><p>“There used to be a day where I’d say that I don’t believe anything on this island is actually happening. This is the official point where I give up.” Oh now you think everything is real!?</p><p>“Just leave the rest to me: Doctor Miserable!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Doctor Miserable!? What? Were you that bad at finding out the correct engine?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Kazuichi! You get brownie points for getting the reference!”</p><p>“Sweet!” I have zero clue what they’re talking about…</p><p>“Anyway, we gotta get this patient to the Monokuma Hospital ER and get him under 24 observatin, stat!”</p><p>“Hey… limpdick, cut the soap opera shit… Get me to the fuggin’ hospital…!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Mas- ...Fuyuhiko!” said Peko. That’s the second time she said something before his name… I knew something wasn’t what it seemed between those two.</p><p>“Okay… Wait! Peko, you’re coming too!?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Yeah… and you best… let her in. Ah, Peko, I-I don’t feel so good…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“DRIVE!” yelled Peko. The doors to the ambulance closed and Monokuma, Peko, and Fuyuhiko drove off behind the curtains.</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>“Hey guys?” said Teruteru. “How is that ambulance gonna get out of here? We are underground after all.”</p><p>“Let’s get out of here first, then we talk about things…” said I.</p><p>We walked back into the elevator and returned to the surface. It was past sunset and the sky had a slight orange tinge on a mostly black background.</p><p>“Do you think it’s okay to have Monokuma being Fuyuhiko’s doctor?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Hmm… Monokuma can’t break any of the rules. I think that means he’s safe, especially with Peko guarding him,” said I.</p><p>“Hey, you think there’s something between Peko and Fuyuhiko?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Most definitely! I have seen the gazes they’ve given each other and it is a gaze of old friends. My theory is that they’re either lovers… or they knew each other before they got here,” said Gundham.</p><p>“I share similar… theories… Hiyoko…!?” said I, seeing a distraught Hiyoko.</p><p>“Is she okay?” said Hajime.</p><p>Tears were flowing like a fountain yet she did not wail… thankfully.</p><p>“I-Is it true, Byakuya?” said Hiyoko, through water.</p><p>“Is what true?”</p><p>“Y-You can t-tie a kimono?”</p><p>“Absolutely… I can… oof” Hiyoko hugged me and caught me off guard. I gave her a hug back.</p><p>“You’re so… soft.”</p><p>“That’s a bonus of fat. It is superior to being a weak, skinny person.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah… whatever you say.”</p><p>“Alright, everyone… go home. There’s not much daylight left.”</p><p>“You say that like you ain’t coming with,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“I’m not. I have to check something first. That means, Nagito, take her.”</p><p>“Let’s get you home…” said Nagito, picking up Hiyoko like a toddler.</p><p>Everyone then began their exodus back to the cottages and into a bed. All except for Hajime.</p><p>“What are you still doing here?” said I.</p><p>“I’ve… I've just been thinking about this guardian from days ago,” said Hajime.</p><p>“What about it?”</p><p>“It’s just… what if you’re wrong and that guardian is actually a traitor?”</p><p>“I don’t want to think about that…”</p><p>“You can’t just ignore it!”</p><p>“I’m not… I’m simply not thinking about it. That thought is still in my mind and I know it’s there, but I’m choosing to not think too hard on it. I don’t want to think about things that would make me lose hope. I have no idea what’s behind that door with the minigun, I have no idea who’s controlling Monokuma, and I have no idea what actually happened to us before we got here. I want it to be good things, I want it to be simple things. I know there’s not going to be a clear answer to all of those things… but I want it to be one.”</p><p>“What about… the murders? Do you also think that someone would commit another murder?”</p><p>“I know these people here are good people… but yes… I… I’ll leave it at just that.”</p><p>“Fair enough, goodnight, Byakuya.”</p><p>“Goodnight.” Hajime stepped away but then stopped. “Is something the matter?”</p><p>“I got it! There was ice inside that bag we found by Mahiru! It just melted to water!”</p><p>“...You make me weary, Hajime Hinata. You are simultaneously the dumbest and smartest person in any given room, and that I find fascinating.”</p><p>“Thanks…? Anyway, goodnight… again.”</p><p> </p><p>I simply waved my hand in response. I went to Jabberwock Park to check on the bomb that was in place of the statue and sure enough, the timer went down by a couple days. Is this game going to end when the days reach zero? Something is definitely awry here. I’ll get to the bottom of this eventually, but now, it’s time for some sleep. We all have to check on Fuyuhiko tomorrow. *Sigh* I think I need to do it tomorrow. Everyone is going to be in the same room together. <br/>I have failed them twice. I have to...</p><p> </p><p>CHAPTER 2:<br/>CRUEL LIMITS<br/>END</p><p>12 Students Remain</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, lookie there, another Chapter down. Two murders, two executions.</p><p>I have had two tabs open for the entirety of this section dedicated to the effects of a concussion and a brain hemorrhage and it feels so good to actually close them.</p><p>Anyway, Chapter 3 is coming next. <br/>I'll see you then.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CHAPTER 3:<br/>MONITOR AND ABUSE<br/>DAILY LIFE</p><p>I sat there, in the Restaurant, pondering. Teruteru was making his rounds of plates. I had asked to help but he declined it. But now I… what the Hell is that?</p><p>My eyes were drawn to a… shrine? It had several animal skulls adorned with flowers and candles. In the center was a black easel with the photos Mahiru took of the party and the ones Nagito got from the arcade machine.</p><p>“Uhh, Teruteru, what’s with the…” said I.</p><p>“Oh that… I thought I was just hallucinating so I waited for someone else to point it out to make sure I’m not insane. As for what it is… I don’t wanna know…” said Teruteru.</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...Gundham’s doing?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, definitely. I could see Nagito bringing out the photos and the candles, but the skulls, nope.”</p><p>Well, that’s that… anyway, I have to tell them today… I can’t continue this lie, I must let them know before things get bad and I don’t have time to explain to them.</p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong*<br/>I guess it’s officially morning… and we are down four. I should say five, but I’m not counting Fuyuhiko dead until I see him. I just wait for everyone to arr...ive... Peko abruptly rushed in, grabbed a plate of food, said “hi,” and left. Peko nearly pushed Hiyoko to the floor when she was exiting.</p><p>“Hey! Watch where you’re going, sellsword!” yelled Hiyoko. “Uhh… what’s with that adoooorable decoration?”</p><p>“Probably Gundham…” said I.</p><p>“Yeah, I’d expect that from him…” Hiyoko took a seat and began eating. </p><p>Soon everyone came in and everyone commented on the cursed shrine in the corner that was literally oozing darkness.</p><p>“Man, who the Hell did this!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“We think it was Gundham,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Of course it’s that creep!” He then murmured something under his breath. </p><p>“Anyway, I think we should check in on Fuyuhiko after breakfast. Finding the daedra worshipper seems secondary right now.”</p><p>“Agreed,” said I. “Let’s just wait for everyone to arrive except for Peko.”</p><p>“Why Peko?” said Hajime.</p><p>“You didn’t see her? She totally almost knocked me down running out of here!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“She probably went to see Fuyuhiko early,” said I.</p><p>“Ooooo, is somebody in l-l-looooove!?” said Ibuki. “No ordinary girl would want to see a guy like Fuyuhiko!”</p><p>“I’d advise against saying that in the presence of Fuyuhiko and/or Peko, Ibuki. One or… both may assault you,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Hey, I think one of the animal skulls is staring at me…!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“They can’t, they don’t have eyes,” said I.</p><p>“But still…”</p><p>“*sigh* Someone smack him, please.”</p><p>“With pleasure,” said Sonia. She gave Kazuichi a mean thwack to the back of Kazuichi’s skull.</p><p>“Thank you, Sonia.”</p><p>“C-Can you do it again, M-Miss Sonia. I don’t think I’ve stopped acting s-stupid!” said Kazuichi. I mouthed a “Don’t” to Sonia and she let down her hand, leaving Kazuichi sad.</p><p>“You know, we should take these photos with us when we get off this island.”</p><p>“Why’s that?” said Hajime.</p><p>“I think we need to hold a funeral for those who died… out of respect.”</p><p>“I agree… Even the murderers should be respected. Also, both were kinda accidental in some form,” said Hajime.</p><p>“What if more… die?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Then we remember more fallen, simple as that,” said I.</p><p>“I’m not going to Teruteru’s funeral! I don’t wanna be near that pervert even in death!” announced Hiyoko.</p><p>“That’s real hurtful ya’know. Besides, I haven’t been pervy in a week,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Oh, really? Why’s that?”</p><p>“You see that big man over there with his arms crossed?” Teruteru pointed at me, “He can outrun me, and I don’t wanna know what he can do to me if he catches me creepin on someone. Buuut… if any of you ladies want a piece of me…” Literally every girl in the room stopped looking at him, “You’re welcome to have one.”</p><p>“Kazuichi has more chances of being Sonia’s boyfriend than you have getting laid here.”</p><p>“Yeah! ...Wait a second,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Awkward…!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Hmph, I have arrived. Apologies for the wait-” said Gundham, walking in. “What the…!? What is this object that is releasing such a foul aura!? Hm, a malice clings to Mahiru even after her death… We’ll be sucked in if we look directly at it!”</p><p>“...Wow, this is a… very hopeless object,” said Nagito. “I feel like I’m being hexed. It’s devouring all hope in the vicinity.”</p><p>“Hmm… if they have five stacks, that’s not good. Hey, hey, if you dismantle it, please don’t destroy the photos…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Stand aside! I shall shatter this barbaric, blasphemous false idol to pieces!” yelled Gundham. </p><p>“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” wailed Hiyoko.</p><p>“The Totem! It wails! It’s more powerful than the Third Seal!</p><p>I turned to Hajime and said, “I’m going to die surrounded by idiots, you included… sometimes.”</p><p>The “Hex Totem” was carefully dismantled and the photos were given to Chiaki for safe keeping. Hiyoko then explained that she made the shrine as a memento of Mahiru. The photos were then put back on the easel and it looked basically the same except for the skulls and the candles. Gundham deemed it cleansed and Nagito felt more hope in it than despair so… we began to eat breakfast.</p><p>“Ah, very well done, Teruteru. Another fantastic dish!” said I.</p><p>“Man, you sure do eat a lot. Don’t you ever worry about, like, choking?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“I’m careful about my eating speed. I never get worried.”</p><p>“You don’t!? Wait, what about Fuyuhiko!?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Is he really all right?” said Sonia. “I was so, so concerned… I could not sleep at all last night…”</p><p>“I think he’s in good hands… Monomi did absolutely ruin Monokuma by using the rules against him. He has to help him or else it breaks a rule of his. Plus, he did look fine when we last saw him…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Ahh, that’s comforting. I wish you were nearby last night, Kazuichi.”</p><p>“...Same.”</p><p>“Alright, now that there’s food in our bellies and our spirits are somewhat high, let’s go to see Fuyuhiko!” said I.</p><p>“But where is Fuyuhiko?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Hmm, Monokuma used an ambulance to collect him. That must mean there’s a hospital or clinic on the new island. He was forced to open an island.”</p><p>“Correct!” said Monomi, coming from nowhere.</p><p>“Okay, let’s leave…” </p><p>“Wait! I have personally escorted the Monobeast off of the island! You won’t have to worry about them anymore!”</p><p>“Anything else?”</p><p>“Uhh, you are correct about there being a hospital on the next island. Peko is with Fuyuhiko in his room there.”</p><p>“This is about the first time I don’t hate your presence here, congratulations.”</p><p>“Thanks! Wait… I-I was that bad to be around!?”</p><p>“Byakuya, I think you’re too harsh on Monomi,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Look at my face. If you’ll take notice, you’ll realize that it doesn’t care.”</p><p>“Hmph!” Chiaki turned to Monomi. “You did great!” Monomi was happy and left the room.</p><p>“I think Byakuya is treating Monomi just as she should be treated. She is probably a part of that World Ender Organization, yes?” said Gundham.</p><p>“We don’t know that…!”</p><p>“A-Are you… defending Monokuma’s ally!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Quiet! We are going to see Fuyuhiko together, understand? I don’t want to hear about Monomi or the World Ender Organization again, am I clear?”</p><p>“Wait, aren’t you on our side? You seem suspicious of Monomi too!”</p><p>“No, I’m not. I just don’t like her. So, am I clear?”</p><p>“Clear.”</p><p>“Clear,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Chiaki?” said I.</p><p>“...Clear,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Good, now, let’s go see our friend.”</p><p>You can only keep peace for so long. War comes eventually, I’ll just... keep it at bay until then. Those arguments will flare up again about Monomi, World Ender, and this “traitor.” I cannot control minds.</p><p>We traveled as a caravan over the third island’s bridge. We crossed it and it was… off to say the least. It looked like the slums of Rio de Janeiro instead of a resort. The rusted out and almost collapsed residences traveled up a mountain and I can only assume it goes all the way around. Even so, there was still no sign of people. If every bit of the island looked like this, I’d assume this place was abandoned for years.</p><p>“Did it just get hotter or is it just me?” said Kazuichi. There was a cactus in front of us and it did look like a desert. Even the roads were cracked from a lack of care.</p><p>“Nope! Ibuki’s feeling it too!” said Ibuki, cheerfully.</p><p>“Eugh… Hey, Hiyoko, are you gonna be good? That kimono is gonna start slow cooking you pretty soon!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Do I look fine to you?” said Hiyoko. She, in fact, was not looking fine. She was dripping with sweat and was as red as a lobster.</p><p>“Nagito!” said I, snapping my fingers.</p><p>“On it!” said Nagito, running over to Hiyoko and picking her up.</p><p>“Aha! Cham-P has spotted the Hospital!” said Gundham, holding out his fat hamster.</p><p>We beelined it to the Hospital and were greeted to the greatest invention ever created: <br/>Air Conditioning.</p><p>Everyone looked relieved, including me. Exploring this island may be a little harder than usual. The Hospital Lobby looked decrepit and like something you’d see in a horror movie. The newest thing in the room was probably the security camera Monokuma installed to watch us. I turned around to look down the hallway and saw Peko.</p><p>“Ah, Peko, is Fuyuhiko alright?” said I.</p><p>“He is… well. He wasn’t good yesterday,” said Peko. She then motioned us to walk down the hallway labeled with a red, neon sign saying, “Jabberwock Hospital.” The hallway was just as unsettling. To our left was a bunch of doors to rooms and to our right was some kind of display on rails, similar to something you’d see waiting in line at an amusement park. It was a simple mechanism moving a thing back and forth only this one had Monokuma heads on it. The entire display was as long as the hallway and showed an… alien on a stretcher being brought to surgery before being operated on. The final room contained a grave with flowers on it. Guess it wasn’t successful.</p><p>Peko led us into Room 4 and there he was, Fuyuhiko in bandages and a hospital gown sitting in bed. His right eye was completely covered in bandages and an IV was hooked into his arm.</p><p>“Did you really have to bring the cavalry to me?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“...They were all together, Fuyuhiko,” said Peko.</p><p>“F-Fuyuhiko… are you all right?” said Hajime.</p><p>“He is-” Fuyuhiko cut her off.</p><p>“I’ll handle this, Peko. It’s just a scratch. The golf ball did less damage than what happened next,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“W-What happened next?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“First it was chills, then came the nausea… then I pissed blood and I have to say, it’s not a pleasant experience.”</p><p>“What caused you to pee blood!?” said Ibuki, frightened.</p><p>“I found out the hard way that Nekomaru can’t give me blood.”</p><p>“Oh, I get it. His blood type wasn’t one you could recieve,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Bingo… So, now I’m locked to my bed with an IV in my arm. The bear really gave me the whole nine yards when it came to treatment.”</p><p>“Well… I’m glad to see you alive. I was worried all night!” said Sonia.</p><p>“There’s no way I’d die from something like this… There’s no way… I can die…”</p><p>“Hey Nagito, I think your luck is rubbing off on people,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“...Who knows? It probably is,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“If that’s the case, then I’m glad I’m helping everyone,” said Nagito.</p><p>“What do you think, Fuyuhiko.”</p><p>“Heh… I hope so… But I doubt I could’ve made it here fast if it wasn’t for Peko,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“What, are you two dating or something?” said Ibuki. Fuyuhiko looked at Peko and nodded.</p><p>“I am his sworn protector,” said Peko.</p><p>“Like a… bodyguard?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Similar, but I am his bodyguard from birth. My entire life, dedicating to protecting him.”</p><p>“So you two knew each other before you came to this island?” said I.</p><p>“Indeed…” Knew it! “...and Fuyuhiko made me understand something I’ve never understood before.”</p><p>“What’s that?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Peko is not a tool… she’s a person,” said Fuyuhiko, clutching Peko’s hand.</p><p>“A… tool?” said Kazuichi. “Like a wrench?”</p><p>“More of a… sword. That’s all I ever thought I was until he talked with me from this very bed,” said Peko.</p><p>“To sum it up, Fuyuhiko, I guess you’ve had a shitty day,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Haha! The shittiest of ‘em all! I gotta get back to eating some of that cooking of yours. Hospital food tastes like ass,” said Fuyuhiko, raising his non-IV arm.</p><p>“Oh, with pleasure!”</p><p>Fuyuhiko’s laughter began to subside… “Hah… hah…” There was a pause and his mood changed. “I… don’t know if my sister is truly dead or not. I’m gonna find that out when I get out of here and y’know, I’m not angry at Mahiru.”</p><p>“Y-You’re not!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“I know… I should be. She may or may not have played a hand in my possible sister’s death but… *sigh* I guess that’s what a shitty day does to ya.” We all smiled in that moment. If Mahiru was here, she would’ve taken a picture. But mine faded first.</p><p>I know what I have to do. I gathered here for a reason. I have failed them twice and that’s not the only reason. If I… perish and/or my secret is revealed, I don’t want them left with questions. I want them to trust me before Monokuma has the ability to use my secret as leverage.</p><p>“I don’t have a good place to put this… but I do require everyone’s attention,” said I.</p><p>“Don’t tell me you’re gonna do the democratic vote for the next leader bullshit again,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“No… I won’t. It’s something more… personal. I am going to reveal the biggest secret of mine.”</p><p>“If you’re about to reveal the location of a secret stash of money, I’m listening!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Oh, you wish. I’m revealing this now so you trust me. Monokuma will not be able to tell you this secret as leverage to get you guys to distrust me.”<br/>“Oh, I see… Get it out of the way early so it doesn’t hurt later… Smart,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Exactly…”</p><p>“So, what is it?” said Hajime.</p><p>I removed my glasses and the blonde, fake wig I was wearing. I made sure to return my voice to normal before I spoke. As I did this, everyone looked confused and surprised and Ibuki almost fell to the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“I am not Byakuya Togami.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Welcome to Chapter 3 and the plot twist everyone knows about because they played or saw someone play the game.</p><p>That fat boi ain't Byakuya Togami, that's for sure.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room is completely silent. Do I say something or wait for someone else to say something? Oh please don’t hate me.</p><p>“H-Hi…?” said I.</p><p>“Okay… what the fuck!?” said Fuyuhiko. Thank you, Fuyuhiko, for breaking the ice in such a wonderful way, that’s totally reassuring.</p><p>“Based on that reaction… I better reintroduce myself, eh?”</p><p>“Yes, please do!” said Sonia with a small bit of fear in her voice.</p><p>“Uh… Hi! I… I don’t know who I actually am.”</p><p>“Do you have amnesia like me?” said Hajime.</p><p>“No, no, I know my talent, but I do not have a name. I only have a title so, hello, I am the Ultimate Imposter. I hope you all are still willing to be friends with me.”</p><p>“So you steal other people’s identities!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“It’s more of… borrow. I make sure not to use an identity for malicious purposes and sometimes I do get consent from the person I’m disguising as.”</p><p>“B-B-Byakuya… not real!?” said Ibuki, this time actually falling to the floor. Thankfully, Teruteru caught her.</p><p>“Wait, were you performing your personality or Byakuya’s personality this whole time?” said Nagito.</p><p>“A little of mine, a lot of Byakuya’s. Well, I guess on this island it flipped due to this Killing Game. You’ll probably barely feel any change whatsoever.”</p><p>“The change in voice is gonna throw me off for a few days.”</p><p>“*sigh* Worry not, Nagito. I can still do the voice if you request,” said I, in Byakuya’s voice.</p><p>“B-Byakuya!?” said Ibuki, rising from the floor.</p><p>“Not Byakuya, but Ibuki!” said I, in Ibuki’s voice. That got everyone’s attention… again.</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait, wait. You can mimic people’s voices!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Exactly! I can switch it on the fly too!” said I, in Kazuichi’s voice.</p><p>“I doubt you will ever be able to portray the Supreme Overlord of Ice!” said Gundham.</p><p>“If I take your apparel, then I will!” said I, in Gundham’s voice.</p><p>“W-What…!? You’ve confused the Devas!”</p><p>“Kehehehe… then my astral level is higher than you once thought.”</p><p>“Hmph… You are a great warrior, Ultimate Imposter!”</p><p>“Please stop, we don’t need two Gundhams…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Aw fuck, sorry man. Would two Kuzuryus be any better?” said I, in Fuyuhiko’s voice.</p><p>“Oh that’s freaky. Yeah, don’t mimic my voice.”</p><p>“Understood…” said I, normally.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking… why would anyone want an imposter?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“In case they want to be in two different places at once or they just need a body double. I’ve been to a lot of parties in my life as different people each time. There’s also been times where I’d be someone famous and while they sneak out the back, I get all of the press in the front.”</p><p>“Won’t they question someone suddenly getting fat?”</p><p>“Surprisingly not. I pull off such a great act that they don’t question it. On a side note, I’ll be changing my wardrobe. It feels… uncomfortable to wear someone’s clothing while not actually being them.”</p><p>“So, what’re you gonna wear?” said Hajime.</p><p>“I found a brown suit jacket in my cottage. I’ll wear that. In the meantime, we have an island to explore and Fuyuhiko, when are you finally going to get out of that bed?”</p><p>“The IV has to be in me for about another day. I should be out tomorrow night. Though, I wanna ask you something before you go,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Alright, then it’s settled. All of you, go out and explore this island. I’ll stay here with Fuyuhiko… and Peko if she wants to stay.”</p><p>Everyone left the room mind for the bed-ridden Fuyuhiko and Peko.</p><p>“Alright, what do you ask of me?”</p><p>“I wanted to know if you really want to find your name,”</p><p>“Hmm… I’ve tried that already. I don’t have a name, no family, no hometown, nothing. Believe me, if I found any small bit about my identity, I would’ve never become the Ultimate Imposter. Hell, I probably would’ve even kept being Byakuya if it wasn’t for this Killing Game.”</p><p>“Why is that?” said Peko.</p><p>“I knew it was going to be used as leverage eventually. Monokuma was going to reveal my secret one of these days so I chose to reveal it early. Normally, I’d just disappear if my identity was compromised and scramble for a new identity… but I can’t here.”</p><p>“Hmph, I think that bear fucking hates ya even more. You knew damn well that if he revealed it, we’d be lining up to stab you in the back,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“I was also thinking of my… demise. If I died with my secret revealed, there’d be little confusion in case Monokuma revealed it postmortem.”</p><p>“So, why do you want to be someone else?” said Peko.</p><p>“It gives me… identity. I don’t have one and I feel comfortable with one, even if it is someone else’s… Do you guys… like being near me after I’ve revealed my secret?”</p><p>“Why wouldn’t we?”</p><p>“I’m not used to… being myself and I want to know if you like me even if I don’t have an identity.”</p><p>“Hey, being a ghost is what a lot of the yakuza wish to be. Fuck man, they’d envy you for being able to hot swap that efficiently!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“R-Really…!?”</p><p>“Definitely. Look, Imposter, what you are is a fine person to be around. Sure, you’re not someone you said you were, but at least you admitted it which is something a lot of people don’t do.”</p><p>“T-Thank you!”</p><p>“Don’t mention it… Now, you got an island to explore. Get out there and see what the fuck is here.”</p><p>“Will do…” Then I left Fuyuhiko and Peko.</p><p>I guess I embrace my true personality. I’ve haven’t been me in a long time… maybe I do have an identity. Maybe I don’t need to borrow others… Well, that’s easier said than done. I’ll make a deal with myself: I won’t be someone else for as long as I’m on this island. Yeah, I think I can do that.</p><p>I then stepped out into the sun.</p><p>“Augh!” said I, aloud. I forgot that it was basically desert heat out here. No matter… I walked down the road and came to a sign that said, “Electric Ave.” There should be someone down this avenue.</p><p>Electric Avenue was full of electronic scrap. Both used and broken computer desktops adorned the place as well as televisions and other electronics. It feels like I’d catch a computer virus just walking down this alley. The entire place is certainly fishy… It even has a live wire hanging overhead that I dare not touch. Maybe in all this junk there’s a machine to communicate with someone on the outside world.</p><p>“Augh! Are you shitting me!?” said a voice that sounded like Kazuichi. He then emerged from one of the scrap piles.</p><p>“Everything alright?” said I.</p><p>“Yes… and no!”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“You know how I’m the Ultimate Mechanic?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes…?”</p><p>“Well, normally, I’d take these things apart in a heartbeat, but I just keep thinking that now’s not the time nor place! I’m so damn conflicted it’s pissing me off!”</p><p>“You can take them apart.”</p><p>“I-Is now really the time?”</p><p>“I’m the l-leader…! You can!”</p><p>“*Gasp* Thanks, Byakuya!”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“Sorry, right… Ultimate Imposter. Man, we gotta come up with a better name for you.”</p><p>“We’ll sort that out later… Anyway, go nuts.”</p><p>“Hell yeah!” Kazuichi then took a monkey wrench and a screwdriver and immediately started to disassemble a computer tower. It didn’t even take him a minute to nearly be done. “Hey, there’s Hajime!”</p><p>Sure enough, in walked Hajime and he said, “Hey Kazuichi, hey… Imposter?”</p><p>“I’ll run with “Imposter” until we find the time to come up with a better name,” said I.</p><p>“Hmm… So, what’s down here?”</p><p>“A lot of scrap for me to take apart!” said Kazuichi, done disassembling the tower.</p><p>“...That, live wires, and…” said I. I then noticed a pile of scrap collapse. It alerted both Hajime and Kazuichi. “...probably a raccoon.” I walked closer to the pile.</p><p>“Hey! Watch out for raccoons!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Why should I?”</p><p>“They’re devious little bastards!”</p><p>“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, keep saying that when one pulls out a rocket launcher!”</p><p>“I highly doubt a raccoon could even get their hands around a rocket launcher, let alone aim and fire it,” said Hajme.</p><p>I walked closer to the pile and soon, a head popped out of it and said, “Hey, hey!” It was Chiaki.</p><p>“Oh um… Chiaki! What were you doing in that pile of scrap?” said I.</p><p>“I was wondering if there were any game consoles in here. Sometimes old hardware is treated like junk.”</p><p>“Ditto!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Ah, so that’s what you were doing,” said Hajime.</p><p>“I already have a TV in my cottage, so it doesn’t have to be a non-portable device… I’ll settle for anything,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Anything you say? What about this!?” said Kazuichi, holding up a white and black, plastic box of sorts. It was covered in dust and dirt. Chiaki’s eyes widen, so I guess it is something.</p><p>“That’s an ultra-rare Bordeaux Box! Only like… two hundred or so were made!”</p><p>“So, does that mean you want it?” </p><p>“...*huff* Errr, sadly, only two hundred were made for a reason. The creator, Giles Bordeaux overlooked a fatal flaw in the hardware.”</p><p>“That being…?”</p><p>“It would… easily catch fire. A lot of homes burned down and he got lawsuit after lawsuit. Eventually, they stopped making them all together.”</p><p>“Oh… I can open ‘er up and try to fix it.”</p><p>“Y-You can…! N-No one’s ever been able to fix that!”</p><p>“He has an Ultimate title for a reason, Chiaki. I think he can do it,” said Hajime.</p><p>“If you do this successfully, Kazuichi, you’ll cement yourself in gaming history!”</p><p>“Well then get ready to make a statute of me!” said Kazuichi. “I’ll fix this baby up in no time!” Kazuichi then left Electric Avenue with Chiaki following him.</p><p>“Hey,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Need something?” said I.</p><p>“You think any of these laptops could connect to the internet?”</p><p>“Well, try it out.” Hajime grabbed a laptop and turned it on. The screen flickered in and out.</p><p>“Ahhgh, c’mon!”</p><p>I gave it a firm whack and it stopped flickering. “Hehe… That shouldn’t have worked.”</p><p>“Annnd it’s not connecting, damn.”</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait, what’s this icon?” I pointed to an icon of Usami’s face that said, “Usami X File.”</p><p>“Usami X File… what is this?”</p><p>“Only one way to find out…” Hajime clicked it and out popped a document file.</p><p>“It’s a document file… Based on the format, it looks like some kind of report. What the…? “The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History”.”</p><p>“Oh great, another mystery…”</p><p> </p><p>Hajime began reciting it, “This horrible event originated… with some students of Hope’s Peak Academy causing a revolt. The students of the Reserve Department were dissatisfied with being treated differently than the Primary Department, and began to fight the academy. At first, the dispute was confined to the campus, and hopes were high that it would settle down someday… But things quickly escalated. Behind the scenes of that rebellion, a huge authority was exerting its influence… Eventually, it spread like an infection, provoking riots in various parts of the world. It was unlike any previous act of terrorism or coup d’etat… It seemed to have a much different purpose. However, no matter what we assume, we simply cannot apply reason to this subversive movement. Nonetheless, the destruction is not chaotic or disorganized. It is both purposeful and malicious. Therefore… it is a subversive movement full of despair. Hope’s Peak Academy became the origin of the incident, and was forced to put an end to their long history… As for the students who survived, they were forced to kill each other as a lesson in despair.” The words then got too garbled to read.</p><p>“”Forced to kill each other.” Sounds a lot like the situation we’re in. A-Are we… the survivors!?”</p><p>“Maybe… It’s impossible to tell if the document was talking about us or another group.” Just then, a window popped up on screen. It seemed to be a texting window for communication.</p><p>“I thought this couldn’t connect.”</p><p> </p><p>“Same here. We aren’t getting any service on this thing and yet, we’re getting a message. I can’t read it. It’s in another language. You know it?”</p><p>“Uhh…. Oh! Yes, I do. Lemme translate it… Hmm, it’s a SOS call. Someone needs help!”</p><p>“Can you respond?”</p><p>“Let’s try…” I typed in, “Who is this?” and hit send. A message was then returned saying, “Names are for friends. You’ll be one if you can get to my location and rescue me… and the others, I guess.” I then recited it to Hajime.</p><p>“Tell him that we’re also stuck and would like to know their location.” I typed it in and got a response.</p><p>The next message was, “46.8797° N, 110.3626° W. Montana. Where are you at?” I typed in “Jabberwock Island” and hit send.</p><p>“He’s in the United States,” said I.</p><p>“How the Hell are we getting a connection to the U.S.?” said Hajime. Another message was received.</p><p>The message read, “By the way, I already knew that. You also in a killing game of sorts? Mine has a creepy ass robotic bear.”</p><p>I typed in, “Same here. In a killing game with a robot bear. His name wouldn’t happen to be Monokuma, would it?” </p><p>“In fact, that creepy fucker is named Monokuma. I just cleared an entire power plant of people searching for whoever is controlling that thing and I still haven’t found ‘em.”</p><p>“What do you mean “cleared”?”</p><p>“There’s a lot of corpses on the floor by my hand. I’m trying to get out of here, but now my plan just got a lot more complicated. Say… what device are you using to talk to me?”</p><p>“I’m using an old laptop that has no internet connection.”</p><p>“Well that’s funny! I’m tracing you right now and I do in fact see a blip on Jabberwock Island, however, I’m apparently connecting to a super computer right now. And I’m talking top-of-the-line in terms of computers. You mind telling me what’s really going on?”</p><p>“I don’t know. Nobody here really knows what’s going on. One minute, we’re suddenly in a classroom, the next, we’re on a beach.”</p><p>“You guys seem a lot more fucked than my group right now. Anyway, I gotta go before the sun rises. I have a lot of bodies to clean up. Also, I didn’t catch your name.”</p><p>“Ultimate Imposter.”</p><p>“...And I thought you were just a myth. Over and out.” The window then said “disconnected.”</p><p>“So… what did they tell you?” said Hajime.</p><p>“The person on the other end is also in a killing game featuring Monokuma. It also says that this laptop is apparently a super computer… He also has killed a lot of people recently.”</p><p>“Oh that’s nothing but more questions.”</p><p>“That’s all we seem to get here…” Monokuma showed up.</p><p>“Hmm… not normal… It’s not normal like a dog barking. It’s such a normal reaction that it’s actually quite novel,” said Monokuma.</p><p>“W-What?”</p><p>“Hey, can't you two react with more gusto!? Don’t you know how very, very important this scene is!?” </p><p>“Could it be…? Were you the one who created this file…?” said Hajime.</p><p>“...My, my, what makes you think that?”</p><p>“Because it’s the only thing I can think of. The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History… Riots in various parts of the world… Then we communicate with someone on the other side of the world. It sounds like something stupid you’d make up. Also, what’s Hope’s Peak Academy’s Reserve Department?”</p><p>“Oh really!? Of all people, you, Hajime! You should really know what the Reserve Department is!”</p><p>“..Eh?”</p><p>“I guess you forgot about it, along with the memories of your school life. So it can’t be helped. But please, tell me more about this person you chatted with!”</p><p>“I don’t think we will,” said I.</p><p>“Aw, not even a name?”</p><p>“They never gave us a name. “Names are for friends,” they said.”</p><p>“Okay, now I’m angry! You mean to tell me some guy from somewhere just decided to connect to a chat log and talk to you two!?”</p><p>“Yes… and since you’re not going to tell us anything, we won’t tell you anything.”</p><p>“Is this how it's like to be you guys?”</p><p>“Yeah, basically. All questions, no answers,” said Hajime. Monokuma then left.</p><p>“So, what do you think? Think we’re the group the document mentions?” said Hajime.</p><p>“I was thinking that we are, but our mysterious “friend” gave us insight. He is also in a killing game in the United States and doesn’t even speak Japanese. I don’t see any connection to Hope’s Peak. That must mean that there’s been multiple killing games and ours may not be the one in the document,” said I.</p><p>“That’s true… wait, we aren’t even at Hope’s Peak. I think you may be right…” Hajime and I said goodbye and departed.</p><p>I hope that person I talked to lives through their killing game… I also hope that those “corpses” mentioned aren’t the people in the game.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so, I had a busy couple weeks or so.</p><p>Now things are gonna heavily slow down because I have a job now.</p><p>Anyway, enjoy this chapter...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I left Electric Avenue and Hajime and walked down the road to another location. This time, it was a Movie Theater. The sign out front said, “The Wizard of Monomi” and there were posters by the entrance, all of them parodying various famous movies. I entered and was greeted by the smell of popcorn… and Monokuma.</p><p>“Welcome! The showing is ready to start! Head on inside if you wish to see the movie!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“No thanks… I’m just browsing…” said I.</p><p>“Drat! Well… at least that’s a better answer than what Hajime gave.”</p><p>“What did Hajime say?”</p><p>“He asked what a “showing” was.” Hajime, do you have exactly two brain cells that bounce around your skull like a screensaver? But damn, whenever those two line up, you can do anything. “It was like the kid didn’t know what a movie was.”</p><p>“If this movie is your next motive, I’m not watching it.”</p><p>“And I was thinking about giving you an invitation ticket…! I went through a lot of trouble to make this movie!”</p><p>“And I went through a lot of trouble in life keeping both of my eyes working. I don’t want to ruin them by watching your movie.”</p><p>“Okay, that was uncalled for…”</p><p>“So is trapping sixteen people on a deserted island and forcing them to kill each other.”</p><p>“Grrr! I can force you to watch the movie. I AM MONOKUMA! On this island, my word is the law!”</p><p>“Should I get Monomi? I’m pretty sure there’s no written rule in the Handbook that says I have to watch the movie.”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“Forget this… I’m out!” Monokuma then left. I’m getting better at telling him off.</p><p>Just then, I heard laughing coming from the bathroom. Against what horror movie logic says, I investigated the sound. It led me into a well lit bathroom with laughter coming from one of the stalls. All of the stall doors were open… but one. I put my hand on the door and the laughter got louder. I hesitated for a moment… but I continued. If I get stabbed, I have fat. That fat will be natural armor. I gently opened the door…</p><p>“Hello…?” said I.</p><p>The laughter stopped and it was Nagito sitting on the toilet. “H-Hi… Byakuya! Wait a minute, you’re not Byakuya anymore, right!?”</p><p>“Y-Yes I’m…” I double checked that no one was in the bathroom. “Have you taken your pills today, Nagito?”</p><p>“Oh… I knew I was forgetting something… I-I’ll go do that.” Nagito got up humming a tune and walked towards the sink with a wide smile. He popped open a pill bottle and put two pills in his mouth before bending over, turning on the sink, and taking a drink from it.</p><p>“A-Are you okay… now?”</p><p>“I… should be fine, Imposter…” Nagito then left the bathroom.</p><p>Augh… please Nagito, don’t forget anymore. He’s lucky he saw me first, I hope. I left the Movie Theater and saw him sitting in the middle of the road.</p><p>“Nagito!” said I. He lifted his head up. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“Y-Yeah…!” he responded. He got up and walked down the road like he didn’t want to be seen. He put the hood of his hoodie up and hid as much of him as possible. I… didn’t pursue him, he seems like he wants to be left alone. I walked the opposite direction and came across a Motel.</p><p>The Motel was a one story building outfitted with guest accommodations and a parking lot. I saw Teruteru exit a room and approached him.</p><p>“Ah, well if it isn’t the disguiser in our group!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Disguiser?” said I.</p><p>“Eh, calling you an Imposter makes it sound negative. Disguiser on the other hand, much better!”</p><p>“Hmph… So, anything in the Motel?”</p><p>“Well, besides looking very shady on the outside, it’s not so bad on the inside. Of course, our cottages are leagues ahead of this place. Think of the Motel as one michelin star and the cottages as three.”</p><p>“I see. Have you ever been to a Motel like this?”</p><p>“Loads of times, especially when in the U.S..”</p><p>“Is this one better or worse than common U.S. ones?”</p><p>“Oh fuck dude, this one’s like comparing a steak dinner to a fast food hamburger. This Motel right here makes them seem like a homeless shelter.”</p><p>“Are United States motels really that bad?”</p><p>“If you go for the off brand ones, yes, it is that bad.” I looked behind him and saw Gundham walk out of a room with his scarf around his mouth and nose.</p><p>“Oh, hey Gundham.”</p><p>“Curse this foul building!” said Gundham.</p><p>“What’s wrong with it?”</p><p>“Everything, Shapeshifter!” Shapeshifter? That’s a new one.</p><p>“Oh, c’mon, it’s not that bad,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“What locations have you been to, foul worm!? What locations make this place seem like the entrance to Heaven!?”</p><p>“Too many American ones… You could make a burger with the amount of mold collected from just the shower curtain alone in many of them.”</p><p>“Hmm… I may need to visit some of these locations…”</p><p>“Why the Hell would you do that!?”</p><p>“I may be prepared for a land cursed by the occult, but I am not prepared for mold-cursed land!”</p><p>“Alright, I got a list…” Teurteru then started naming motels and hotels that he’s personally had a horrible experience in. I left midway through, tired of all of the names. I walked down the road some more and realized that I am quite sweaty. This heat and this suit do not make a good combination. The final appeared to be indoors. Good! I need A/C right now.</p><p>The building appeared to be a Music Venue of sorts… either that or a NightClub. Either way, the sign, in big, bold, capital letters said, Titty Typhoon. I must say, what a name! Did a twelve year old come up with the name of this place!?</p><p>I walked inside and found Sonia and Ibuki. I also saw a big stage and big speakers. Towards one wall held a door and a bar filled with alcohol.</p><p>“Yahoooooooooooooooo!” screamed Ibuki.</p><p>“She’s… been like this for the past five minutes…” said Sonia.</p><p>“Oh, okay…” said I.</p><p>“She’s… overwhelmed by the fact that there’s a Music Venue on the island.”</p><p>“That’s right! I never expected to find a Music Venue. I can’t help feeling excited!” said Ibuki. “That’s right! I never expected to find a Music Venue. I can’t help feeling excited!” Why’d she say that twice? “Huh, did I just say that twice? Huh, did I just say that twice?” At least she’s aware of it…</p><p>“Ibuki, you okay?” said I.</p><p>“Absolutely my big friend!” Ibuki then hugged my stomach. “*Gasp* How good are you at playing drums!?”</p><p>“Uhh… Give me your identity and I can play drums.”</p><p>“I-It works like that?” said Sonia.</p><p>“It works like that.”</p><p>“Little weird, but okay! Ibuki is planning on holding a concert one of these days! Ibuki has no other choice when presented with a Music Venue! Yahooooooooooooo! Ibuki’s gonna invite everyone so they can experience Ibuki’s music!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Well then, if that’s what you want, I’m in. When the time comes, I’ll need your clothing so I can fully immerse myself into your identity.”</p><p>“A-Okay! Leave it to me! Like, lemme bite you!”</p><p>“P-Please don’t! Sonia… help me.”</p><p>“I do not know how I’d be able to help you, sorry,” said Sonia. Ibuki then playfully bit me before running up to the stage and getting behind the speakers.</p><p>“And I’m gonna have to be her…” said I.</p><p>“So you can play the drums, but only when dressed like Ibuki?”</p><p>“That’s how it goes for all of the identities I borrow. If I borrow a musician, I can play music, if I borrow an animator, I can animate, and so forth.”</p><p>“I see… You have quite an interesting talent, Ultimate Imposter!”</p><p>“T-Thanks… Say, did you see Hiyoko anywhere?”</p><p> </p><p>“I saw her walk through that door over there.” Sonia pointed at the door next to the bar that said, “STAFF ONLY.”</p><p>“Thanks…” I left Sonia to Ibuki and went to see Hiyoko.</p><p>I was not prepared for what I saw…</p><p> </p><p>It was a naked Hiyoko struggling with a kimono in front of a mirror. My arm has never covered my eyes faster and, of course, Hiyoko screamed.</p><p>“P-Pervert…!” said Hiyoko, covering herself up as best as she could.</p><p>“I am… so sorry! I’ll be leaving now!” said I.</p><p>“Wait… You know how to tie a kimono, right?”</p><p>“Y-Yes I do… Are you covered up?”</p><p>“I-I am…”</p><p>“Then… let me help.”</p><p>Some time had passed and I was nearly finished.</p><p>“And one more thing… There we go, done!” said I.</p><p>“Wow, thanks Bya- Imposter…?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll go by that… Say, how come you don’t know how to tie a kimono?”</p><p>“I… My family always did it for me.”</p><p>“Well… how about I teach you right now?”</p><p>“Y-You will!?”</p><p>“Yes.” Hiyoko then hugged me. “But now, we need to loosen the kimono…”</p><p>Some more time had passed and I did the same thing again only this time, I was describing my moves in depth… So it took longer is the gist of it.</p><p>“Annnnd…. Done! Got all that?”</p><p>“I-I think so… Now what?”</p><p>“Loosen it again but this time, you’re doing everything yourself.”</p><p>“Do I have to?” Hiyoko had the tone of a, “generic female teenager from a sitcom that doesn’t want to do anything and spends half the time on the show on her phone” in that sentence.</p><p>“Yes… you do!” I said that in the tone of, “the father of said female teenager who’s honestly fed up with her at this point and just wants her to get a job” in my sentence.</p><p>Some more time passed and it took even longer for Hiyoko to tie her kimono. But you know what, she never gave up… even if she had to restart several times…</p><p>“*Gasp* Did I do it!?”</p><p>“Walk around and see!”</p><p>Hiyoko walked and danced around and the kimono didn’t budge.</p><p>“...! Thank you, Ham Hands!” Hiyoko then hugged me.</p><p>“Oof..! Y-You’re welcome… Now, can you do it from memory?”</p><p>“Uh-huh!”</p><p>“Outstanding!”</p><p>Sonia then walked in, “Are you two alright in here? You have been in here for hours.”</p><p>“Has it really been that long!?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Sadly yes.”</p><p>“I was helping Hiyoko with her kimono. What were you doing during this?” said I. Hiyoko seemed to resent that I said that aloud.</p><p>“I was helping Ibuki gather instruments for a concert she may have eventually. I did not know drums were so heavy!”</p><p>“Alright… Let’s see what she’s done.”</p><p>Exiting the back room, I looked at the stage and sure enough, there were instruments there. A drum set with about fifteen individual drums was set up around a small stool as well as an electric guitar resting on an amp. There was also a triangle there… for some reason. I can only assume this island is… lacking in instruments.</p><p>“That is a lot of drums…” said I.</p><p>“Indeed. I had to carry six of them here. I have never done labor like this before and I must confess, I enjoyed it!” said Sonia.</p><p>“Do you really stay up in a castle all day?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Yes and I wish I didn’t. My time on this island has exposed me to wondrous new things like informal parties, plastic plates and utensils, labor, and most importantly, friends my age.”</p><p>“Well, I’m happy to be called a friend by you,” said I.</p><p>“As am I!”</p><p>“Hiyoko?”</p><p>“Huh? Yeah, yeah, whatever… *friends* I guess…” said Hiyoko. Me and Sonia gave a nervous laughter while Hiyoko’s seemed genuine.</p><p>Either way, it was nighttime and we called it a day. I returned to my cottage and heard the announcement however, this one had a message along with it.</p><p>Monokuma spoke and said, “Attention! Attention! Be alert for tomorrow, there’s a fog rolling in!” then the TV turned off. Great, fog, just what we needed: lower visibility. Come to think of it, Jabberwock Island doesn’t appear to have a lighthouse. Ugh, I hope this fog isn’t the kind where you can’t see three feet in front of you. I fell asleep and let the dreamworld take me.</p><p>Morning rose and so did I. I got dressed in my new brown jacket and pants for the occasion. That occasion being me showing off my true identity. I walked out my door and it was darker than usual. This must be the fog. I carefully walked over to the Hotel, mindful not to fall in the pool, and entered the Restaurant where Teruteru was hard at work making soup and oatmeal, having a smile on his face the whole time. I wish I could have that enthusiasm. As the sun rose further and people started walking along accompanying the announcement, I realized it was gray outside. Monokuma wasn’t lying about the fog. I couldn’t even see the whole Hotel Complex fully.</p><p>Still… Peko came flying in and grabbed two portions of food and just before she left, I had to say, “Be careful out there!” She paused for a moment, smiled, then exited.</p><p>“*Whistle* You guys see how thick this fog is!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Indeed, it is an ominous fog… This fog isn’t natural,” said Gundham.</p><p>“This fog is precisely the reason why breakfast is extra hot today!” said Teruteru, moving a plate to a table.</p><p>“Why couldn’t it be Japanese…?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Because cooking nothing but Japanese food gets boring after a bit. Imagine doing the same sex position every time. You gotta spice it up every now and then!”</p><p>“Everyday I get more and more disappointed in you…” said Gundham.</p><p>“Anyway… It’s a good thing we explored yesterday. Still we haven’t found a place off the island, but me and Hajime found several important things!” said I.</p><p>“Oooh! Whatcha find, whatcha find!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“First, we found a chat log with someone else who’s also in a killing game.”</p><p> </p><p>“T-There’s another one going on!?” said Nagito.</p><p>“I’m afraid so…”</p><p>“W-Where is this taking place!?”</p><p>“Across the water in Montana. The person we were chatting with also mentioned Monokuma,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Montana? Isn’t that in the United States?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Yep…” said Chiaki. “Can we trust this person?”</p><p>“Well… they never gave us their name, but they didn’t even speak Japanese which leads me to believe that this person is on our side. Still, I wouldn’t trust them,” said I.</p><p>“Is there any connection to anything we’ve learned so far?”</p><p>“Nope, none at all. I doubt this mystery person is aligned with any group we’ve heard of so far. This leads me into the second thing we’ve discovered which was something known as, “The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History.””</p><p>“What on Earth is that?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“From what we gathered, it started out as a riot in Hope’s Peak. Students from the Reserve Department of Hope’s Peak were fed up with how they were treated when compared to the Primary Department. This eventually scaled into full on riots around the world,” said Hajime.</p><p>“This is probably why there is currently a killing game in the United States,” said I.</p><p>“This article also mentioned that the survivors of Hope’s Peak were forced to kill each other.”</p><p>“Are… Are they talking about us!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“It’s impossible to know…” said I.</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait… The American killing game is happening right now, as ours is happening, right?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Y-Yes…? What’re you thinking about?”</p><p>“Hmm… The Americans have no connection to Hope’s Peak whatsoever… and then there’s us. The American group had to pull inspiration from a killing game to start another. I highly doubt that two killing games just happen to start at roughly the same time. So, I don’t think those survivors are talking about us.”</p><p>“That is an interesting thought from such a lower form of life… There is no way to prove it, but I shall keep it in my mind!” said Gundham.</p><p>“Dammit, we just have so many questions and no way to prove any answers!” said Hajime.</p><p>“*Sigh* I kinda wish we had that mysterious stranger over here…” said I.</p><p>“Why do you think that?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“He did say he had to clean up a lot of bodies before sunrise…”</p><p>“Isn’t that a bad person to wish here!?”</p><p>“Well, if he said that Monokuma exists in their killing game, that must mean the rules are basically the same. They may be trying to dismantle their killing game.”</p><p>“Yeah, I agree… let the murderer in here. I bet they would’ve already killed whoever’s controlling Monokuma and freed us by now,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Was that… sarcasm?”</p><p>“Of course it is!”</p><p>“*Sigh*”</p><p>We ate our breakfast while thinking of the United States… which is a bit weird. After that, I returned to my cottage through the thick fog and heard a knock at my door. Before I could even put my hand on the knob, the door opened with enough force to knock me to the ground.</p><p>“Oh! Sorry, big man!” said Ibuki, standing in the doorway.</p><p>“Ugh… What do you need?” said I, in pain.</p><p>Ibuki tossed a copy of her outfit at me, “Put this on and see if it fits your lovely curves!”</p><p>“Is this for the-”</p><p>“Yep, I hope you know how to play the drums!” Ibuki then shut the door.</p><p>“*Sigh* I’ll put this on and then I will know…”</p><p>I spent some time undressing and then putting on Ibuki’s outfit. It did fit, but it was a little tight around the chest. Now, Ibuki has to go find Ibuki! I opened the door and then realized I don't know where Ibuki is.</p><p>“Ibuuuuuuuuuuuuuuki!!!!!!!” I yelled aloud, in Ibuki’s voice.</p><p>“Who’s screaming for Ibu-” said Hajime, rounding the corner.</p><p>“Helllllllllo, Hajime! Can you tell Fat Ibuki where Thin Ibuki is?”</p><p>“Eh… er, umm… I-I think I saw her in the Music Venue…”</p><p>“Thaaaaaank you very much!” I then promptly skipped over to the exit to the Complex and walked over several bridges to the Music Venue. Sonia was outside.</p><p>“Hey, Sonia!”</p><p>“Hello… Ibuki?” said Sonia.</p><p>“That is my name after all! Did you see Ibuki in the Titty Typhoon?”</p><p>“I-I did…”</p><p>“Thaaaaaaank you very much!” I then gave her an ear to ear smile and entered the Venue. Ibuki was up on stage fiddling with an amp.</p><p>“Good nom-nom-noming!” said I.</p><p>“*Gasp* Ibuuuuuuki! My God, I love your outfit!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Why thank you, Ibuki!”</p><p>“Don’t mention it, Ibuki!”</p><p>“So, did you have me come out here for a jam sesh or just to test out these threads?”</p><p>“Both! Now get on up there and show Ibuki what Ibuki can do!”</p><p>I, not so gracefully, climbed up on stage at cheetah speeds and grabbed the wooden drumsticks like they were meaty drumsticks. I then played the most heart-pounding, foot-tapping, drum solo the world’s ever seen! Ibuki was left stunned by my awesome solo!</p><p>Ibuki started clapping her hands and said, “That… was… amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaing!!!!!!”</p><p>“You know it, Ibuki!”</p><p>“I’d only expect a drum solo of epic proportions out of me!”</p><p>“Well, I am Ibuki too!”</p><p>“I love you, Ibuki.”</p><p>“I love you too!” We then hugged each other tightly.</p><p>“Man, we really need to get a better name for you…”</p><p>“What’s a name only an Ibuki could come up with…?”</p><p>We were both silent for a minute and said at the same time, “Ibuki 2!”</p><p>“That should clear up confusion!” said Ibuki 2. “Now, when are we rocking the panties off of all the people here?”</p><p>“Maybe a couple days… This amp is teetering between life and death. I may get Kazuichi to work on it. Also, Ibuki needs like, two more people and then we’ll have a full band!”</p><p>“Is that what the triangle is for?”</p><p>“You betcha! I’ll handle getting someone to play the triangle with 120% effort, can you handle getting someone to deliver… entertainment?”</p><p>“Ooh, unspecified entertainment… Ibuki 2 may know someone…”</p><p>“Great! Now, go get changed back into your normal wear. The world just isn’t ready for two Ibukis.”</p><p>“*Sniff* It is sad… but it must be done… Ibuki 2 will be reborn whenever Ibuki 1 gives the word!” Ibuki 2 then left the Music Venue, past a nervous Sonia and Hajime, and back into Ibuki 2’s cottage where I got changed back into my normal wear.</p><p>Whew, being Ibuki is a thrilling experience, akin to a roller coaster. However, I am winded from that experience. You know what, we’re on a tropical island and the fog is clearing out, so why not actually visit the beach and relax there. I used what little strength I had to grab a beach chair from Rocketpunch Market and carry it to the beach to soak in the sunshine… in a two-piece suit. </p><p> </p><p>Sometime while I was there, I drifted off to sleep and awoke on a street in a small town. I instantly assumed I was dreaming. It didn’t look like any town I’ve been in nor seen. I was at a crossroads and in the distance I saw an American flag waving from a window. It was… peaceful. There wasn’t a person in sight nor a car. It was like no one ever lived there. I then heard a horse whine. I turned around and saw nothing but the sky turning red and orange. Fire and smoke suddenly engulfed the sky and all of the buildings were ablaze. A kindling American flag fell in front of me and as I looked down at it and looked up, my dream was a confirmed nightmare. Bodies and blood adorned the street. Some were dead on the pavement, some were still on fire, and some were hanged from the streetlights by the neck, but all were unidentifiable. I looked all around me and noticed there was fire at every end of each street and it was getting closer. I tried entering one of the corner stores, but it was locked. I peered through the window and saw a girl wearing a brown skirt with a green, long sleeve jacket. She just stared at me, wept, then walked through a door in the back. A heard the horse whine again and saw that one wall of fire was closer than the rest to the crossroads. The bodies hanged weren’t random… they were people I knew. Mikan, Akane, Nekomaru, and Mahiru were strung up on the streetlights. From the closest wall of fire whined the horse again followed by trotting. The horse burst through the wall along with someone riding it. The horse was red and the jockey was carrying a sword. He got closer and swung it at me…</p><p> </p><p>*THUD*</p><p>“*Gasp*” I-I was back at the beach and I clutched my chest where the sword hit me. I was still breathing.</p><p>*THUD*</p><p>What is making that noise? I got up from my beach chair and saw Teruteru, Hajime, and Hiyoko by a palm tree that had several coconuts littering its base. I walked over to see what they were doing.</p><p>“What’s going on here?” said I.</p><p>“We’re trying to get these coconuts open,” said Hajime.</p><p>“I’ve always wanted to know the taste of fresh coconut. I’m just surprised I didn’t do this earlier,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“...But unreliable Hajime and this dumb oaf can’t even make a dent in them,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Keep calling me that and I may get excited…!”</p><p>“Anyway… Hiyoko, have you tried getting them open?” said I.</p><p>“Pfft, no, why would I do that? That just seems like a fool’s errand!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Then you have no place to talk.” Hiyoko just pouted and turned away from me.</p><p>“Either way, I’d like to open these coconuts delicately… but somebody just wants to throw them against rocks,” said Teruteru, glaring at Hajime.</p><p>“Hey, don’t look at me! Hiyoko said I should do this,” said Hajime, glaring at Hiyoko.</p><p>“What’s funny is that you dimwits both believed me!” said Hiyoko. Then Hiyoko left the beach.</p><p>“I’m gonna do what I said I was gonna do with these coconuts!” said Teurteuru, picking a coconut up from the ground. “Now, does anyone have a machete and/or a screwdriver and mallet?”</p><p>“...I do!” said a voice from the distance.</p><p>“Who is that?”</p><p>As the figure got closer, we could make out the ugly, yellow mechanic suit they were wearing. “Me!” said Kazuichi, taking out a screwdriver and a wrench.</p><p>“Ah! Splendid… now let me see…” Teruteru put the screwdriver in one of the eyes of the coconut and used the wrench to hammer it into the coconut.</p><p>*POP*</p><p>“Now,” said Teruteru. “Does anyone want coconut water?”</p><p>We all passed around the coconut taking turns drinking the water from the puncture. I must say, it was quite delicious! Teruteru even showed enjoyment.</p><p>“That’s pretty good!” said Hajime.</p><p>“It’s more than good… it’s good enough to drop you to the floor!” said Teruteru, picking up several more coconuts.</p><p>“Need help?”</p><p>“Yeah, pick up the remaining coconuts and Kazuichi, may I borrow that screwdriver?”</p><p>“Yeah sure, knock yourself out,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“I’m making piña coladas tonight!”</p><p>“Uh, doesn’t that require rum?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Hajime, Hajime, Hajime, you don’t know me too well. I know how to improvise. I will make something that tastes like rum but without containing alcohol.”</p><p>“Dude, that doesn’t sound possible,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Alright, you three go have fun. I’m going to return to my cottage,” said I.</p><p>“Bye, Imposter!” said Teruteru, followed by Kazuichi and Hajime.</p><p>I left the beach and headed towards my cottage as sundown came and the fog seemingly set right back in. What kind of fog just leaves and comes back midway through the day? Even stranger, it’s not as thick as it was earlier and it seems like it’s kind of… avoiding me, if that makes any sense. I spent some of the day at my cottage pondering the strange fog. I then remembered Teruteru and headed over to the Hotel. I hope those piña coladas are ready. As I walked, for some reason, Sonia was there like she was blind. She was walking incredibly slow and staring at the floor.</p><p>“S-Sonia?” said I.</p><p>“Oh, Bya- Imposter, is that you?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Yeah, I-I’m right in front of you. Can you not see me?”</p><p>“I cannot because this fog is too thick!”</p><p>“But… I can see the entire Hotel Complex, how can you not see me right in front of you?”</p><p>“I-I… I do not have an answer for that… Can you escort me to the Hotel?”</p><p> </p><p>I walked with her over to the Hotel entrance. I peered into the restaurant and saw that almost everyone was there. All we were missing were Fuyuhiko, Peko, and Ibuki.</p><p>“Hey, Imposter and Miss Sonia, did you finally find your way through the fog?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Y-Yeah…” said I. “It wasn’t that much of an issue…”</p><p>“How!? You can’t see more than a couple centimeters in front of you!” said Hajime.</p><p>“I don’t know. For some reason, the fog isn’t that dense for me… Oh! I have to go help out the rest who aren’t here!”</p><p>“Smart move… just if you hear a scraping noise on the ground that sounds like metal, run,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“W-What?”</p><p>“He’ll be wearing a triangle on his head… If you see him, run!”</p><p>“Chiaki, I don’t think we’re in that town. We’re on Jabberwock Island,” said Hajime.</p><p>“...You never know.”</p><p>Disregarding whatever that was, I set forth and as I exited the Hotel Complex, I saw Ibuki approaching with a stick.</p><p>“Oh, hey Ibuki… C-Can you see me right now?” said I.</p><p>“Yaaaaas! That’s kind of a strange question to ask, dontcha think?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Well I ask because-”</p><p>“Almost as weird as that dream I had earlier!”</p><p>“Wait, what dream did you have?”</p><p>“Oh it was really weird. Ibuki was in some kind police station of sorts and suddenly, the place burst into flames. Bodies and blood then appeared in the police station and I got really freaked out! Oh, there was also a computer turned on and it had an adorable girl on the screen!”</p><p>“She didn’t happen to be wearing a brown skirt with a green jacket of sorts…”</p><p>“...Have you been infiltrating my dreams!?”</p><p>“No… I had… a similar dream involving fire and that girl. Did you also see a red horse?”</p><p>“Yeah! Ibuki heard a horse neigh and when I looked outside, sure enough, there was a horse! I turned around and this guy attacked me with a sword! You know what any of that means?”</p><p>“I don’t have the foggiest…” Heh, “foggiest.” “By the way, why are you carrying that stick?”</p><p>“Ibuki conjured all of her brain cells to come up with an excellent plan! I’m using the stick to mark a path between all of the locations on all of the islands.”</p><p>“Did you mark them all?”</p><p>“Sure did! After Ibuki 2 left, I spent the rest of the day with a stick… and then I took a nap after eating at least thirty pounds of raw rice!”</p><p>“Why did you eat raw rice!?”</p><p>“I was hungry and didn’t feel like cooking anything. Plus, Ibuki was feeling crunchy!”</p><p>“Alright… Okay…. Anyway… the rest of the group is in the Restaurant where Teruteru is serving piña coladas. I’m gonna go collect Peko and possibly Fuyuhiko.”</p><p>“Okay, good nom-nom-night!”</p><p>“Good night…”</p><p>Ibuki could see me and she mentioned falling asleep. Then we had basically the same dream but different locations. It was incredibly strange… maybe Gundham knows something. Stranger things are kind of his territory. Although, what’s even stranger is that when you get the dream, apparently the fog is less dense for you.</p><p>I made my way to the Hospital and found Peko outside the room.</p><p>“Peko,” said I.</p><p>“Imposter…” said Peko.</p><p>“Is Fuyuhiko in there?”</p><p>“Affirmative. He is changing into more suitable clothing.” The doorknob rattled and out popped Fuyuhiko in his suit and a matching eyepatch.</p><p>“Ah, Imposter… Damn we really gotta come up with a better name,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“You may be right there… B-But I’ve never really had a name…” said I.</p><p>“Well then, we fucking make one up! Anyway, why are you here? Come to see the cripple on his way out?”</p><p>“No, to guide you through the fog if needed. Our fellow classmates believe it to be very dense.”</p><p>“I’ll be the judge of that!” Fuyuhiko stepped outside. “I mean, I can see… It’s not that bad. The fuck are they talking about?”</p><p>“I must… disagree, Fuyuhiko. I can’t see anything in front of me…” said Peko.</p><p>“What do you think, Imposter?”</p><p>“Before I answer, did you take a nap today?” said I.</p><p>“Yeah, what about it?”</p><p>“Did you also happen to dream… about fire, a girl, and a red horse?”</p><p>“Y-Yes…! Wait, what’s this about!?”</p><p>“Grab hold of Peko’s hand, we’re going to the Restaurant to tell the rest.”</p><p>Fuyuhiko and Peko held hands as we went over to the Hotel Complex. When we arrived, everyone was ecstatic.</p><p>“Great to see you out of bed, Fuyuhiko!” said Teurteru, handing him a piña colada.</p><p>“Gahahahaha! He lives!” yelled Gundham.</p><p>“You know, you look good in that eyepatch,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Yeah, makes you have less of a baby face!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Thank you, thank you all… Hiyoko, you can go fuck yourself, but everyone else, thank you!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“I take it your eye couldn’t be saved?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Nah, that golf ball got me good… but no fucking golf ball is gonna put me down. It’s gotta be a lot tougher than that!”</p><p>“Alright, alright, now we’re all excited to see Fuyuhiko return, but now onto serious matters. Namely, who can see in this fog?” said I. Fuyuhiko and Ibuki’s hands were raised. “The rest of you can’t see more than a couple meters in front of you, correct?”</p><p>“That’s an understatement. I can’t even see my hand when I outstretch my arm!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“This is where things get weird.”</p><p>“Things are… kinda weird already,” said Hajime.</p><p>“Now, Ibuki, Fuyuhiko, and myself have taken a nap today and we all shared basically the same dream and for some reason, we can see in the fog, but the rest of you can’t.”</p><p>“Wait, how did you all get here!?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“You can thank Gundham for that. More specifically, Mirage Silver Falcon Jum-P!” said Sonia.</p><p>“It is true. Jum-P is always sleeping and he guided me and the rest over to the Hotel,” said Gundham. “But he did not have a dream.”</p><p>“I never thought I’d ever take orders from a hamster…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“May I… inquire about this dream you have had?”</p><p>“Well I was in a crossroads, Ibuki was in a police station…” said I.</p><p>“And I was in a courtroom,” said Fuyuhiko. “Then the place burst into flames.”</p><p>“That’s what happened next: fire. Everything was on fire… and then we saw…”</p><p>“Her… a girl of sorts. She looked rather innocent and then she started crying for some reason.”</p><p>“Ibuki can attest to that too! That cute little girl started crying after I noticed her. I wish I found out why…” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Then came the horse…” said I.</p><p>“Oh that fucking thing. A fucking red horse just burst into the courtoom for no reason and ran past me. Then there was this motherfucker in the doorway holding a sword,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Then that person with the sword attacked us… then the dream ended.”</p><p>“...That’s odd. You all had that same dream?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Yepperooni!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“War…” said Gundham.</p><p>“Eh…?” said Hajime.</p><p>“You were dreaming about War.”</p><p>“How the Hell did interpret all of that as war?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“No, not that, the figure with the sword, that was the Second Horseman of the Apocalypse, War. When the second seal was broken, he came riding in, sword in hand, on a red horse, ready to raise Hell. Was War wearing anything!?”</p><p>“No, the figure was kinda blurry…”</p><p>“I didn’t get a good look at him,” said I.</p><p>“Neither did Ibuki!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Did any of you see a black horse or a man holding scales?” said Gundham. We all replied with our own versions of “nope.” “G-Good… that means Hell isn’t actually about to be risen. From what it seems, being rendered unconscious means that we’ll have to confront War and from there, we’ll be able to see in this fog.”</p><p>“Hey! What’s with all this talk of War and fire?” said Monokuma, showing himself.</p><p>“To be honest, we don’t actually fully know ourselves,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Well, at least it’s helping. I didn’t think the fog would be this thick. It’s thicker than Byakuya!” Monokuma then looked at me. “*Sigh* Everytime… every, damn, time, you find a new way to ruin my plans. At this point, I don’t hate ya anymore… I respect the hustle. Anyway, someone get Monomi here, maybe she knows something.”</p><p>“Did I hear my name?” said Monomi, showing up from nowhere.</p><p>“That you did, you useless piece of nothing. Do you know anything about War and dreams and whatever this conversation is about?”</p><p>“N-No… I just got here.”</p><p>“Ah, still useless it seems… Anyway, your motives are being prepared and you’ll get them in the morning in the form of a letter!”</p><p>“Why a letter?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Well, I was gonna have everyone gather round, but this fog has made that impossible. As you guys sleep, I’ll have the Monobeasts work on clearing most of it. Fog does add an interesting point to the next murder, but this is too much!”</p><p>“C-Can someone tell me what’s going on!?” said Monomi.</p><p>“...Come here,” said Chiaki, motioning Monomi over. She then whispered in her ear.</p><p>“Alright, now, I have to leave or else I’ll be late for my nighttime announcement!” said Monokuma before disappearing.</p><p>The nighttime announcement then played.</p><p>“Okay! I heard everything from Chiaki and… I have no idea what’s going on either,” said Monomi. </p><p>“Hmm… I did see an American flag in my dream and we do know of a killing game that is taking place in the United States,” said I.</p><p>“So… they’re sending us dreams or something? How the Hell does that work!?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Maybe they have an Ultimate Telepath or something like that?” said Nagito</p><p>“That is a fair point… but it is mighty difficult. Even an Ultimate would have trouble sending an image, let alone a dream, that distance. I have dabbled in telepathy and I must say, it is a difficult task to undertake,” said Gundham.</p><p>“A second killing game!? Where is this taking place!?” said Monomi.</p><p>“Somewhere in the United States,” said I.</p><p>“Oh no… to think more people are subject to this awful game… I wish I were there to help them out… *sniff*”</p><p>“Well, we’re about to get more dreams tonight. Everyone, I believe you will all fall asleep and be subject to a dream tonight. I suggest you remember it well. Now, let’s enjoy our piña coladas some more!” </p><p>“C-Can I have a piña colada?”</p><p>“...Sure.”</p><p>We all took a victory drink and damn does Teruteru know how to make good food and drinks. We all left the Restaurant and returned to our cottages under the guidance of an Imposter, a Yakuza, a Musician, and a Hamster. I wonder if I’ll get another dream… actually, scratch that, I wonder what dreams are in store for the rest of them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This took some time, but I'm still here with a long chapter.</p><p>I don't know what else to put here so... :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I woke up extra early today. I guess I’m excited for what dreams they had in store. The fog was still there, but it wasn’t enough to hinder my movements. I entered the Restaurant and saw the faithful Teruteru dutifully cooking breakfast as usual.</p><p>“Ah, Teruteru, did you have your… dream?” said I.</p><p>“...I wish I didn’t,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Fuyuhiko, Ibuki, and I described it yesterday, was it in line with what we said?”</p><p>“Y-Yes… I didn’t think it’d be that… how do I put this, “lively.” I thought I was about to die!”</p><p>“Well, it’s good you had your dream. Could you navigate here easily?” Gundham and Sonia walked in.</p><p>“Yeah… T-This stuff is downright creepy now!”</p><p>“Hmm…” I turned to Gundham and Sonia, “Did you two have your dreams?” </p><p>“Indeed,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Yes!” said Sonia.</p><p>“Alright, let’s wait for the rest,” said I.</p><p>Everyone was soon in the Restaurant where I commanded their attention. “Attention everyone! Did every single one of you experience a dream?” Everyone said “yes” in unison… except for Chiaki. “Chiaki, did you get a dream?”</p><p>“...Uh, nope,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Did you fall asleep last night?”</p><p>“...Yep.”</p><p>“Then how did you not get a dream?”</p><p>“I don’t… know. I fell asleep like you said but…”</p><p>“I know! It was that stupid hamster of his!” said Kazuichi, pointing at Gundham. “That hamster took Chiaki’s dream!” That line out of context is absolute gold.</p><p>“What!? How dare you accuse Jum-P of such treachery!” yelled Gundham.</p><p>“Well, what else do we have!?”</p><p>“There’s holes in your argument. How did Jum-P steal the dream of Chiaki if he never received a dream himself?”</p><p>“I...I don’t know! Maybe a certain amount of dreams were to be given out or something.”</p><p>“I will rip your insolent tongue from-”</p><p>“Quiet!” said I. “I don’t know if her dream was “stolen” or not. Right now, we need a bigger picture. So, could everyone please tell me the location of your dreams?”</p><p>“Fine. My vision took place in what appeared to be Park Ranger Station.”</p><p>“Like… National Park?”</p><p>“Most likely. That girl that was mentioned was in a tree.”</p><p>“Then… War came?”</p><p>“Indeed…”</p><p>“Alright, Kazuichi? Also, everyone, please state the location, where you saw that girl, and if War attacked you.”</p><p>“I was in a Hangar of sorts. There was a crop duster right next to a biplane and that girl was sitting in the crop duster. The Hangar door opened and War was waiting there for me!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Teruteru?”</p><p>“I was in an authentic American Diner. It kinda was like the one on one of the islands here… but better. I saw that girl walk into the kitchen and when she walked out, War walked in…” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Peko?”</p><p>“I was in a Gun Store. The girl was behind a locked door in an indoor firing range, but I could see her through the glass. War did visit me and I was able to identify his sword. It appears to be an American Civil War Cavalry sword” said Peko.</p><p>“Your turn, Sonia.”</p><p>“I-I’m not sure what location I was in,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Can you… describe it?”</p><p>“Uhh… It had a lot of red tents with some being bigger than others. There was a tent that housed a wall of balloons and in front of that was a counter with throwing darts on it. I threw a dart and managed to pop one of the balloons! The girl then came out and handed me a teddy bear… War came up behind me…”</p><p>“That sounds like a Circus,” said Hajime.</p><p>“I concur… I think you were a Circus. Did you see any clowns?” said I.</p><p>“There was a cardboard cutout of a jester,” said Sonia.</p><p>“That does it, I believe you were at a Circus. Alright, Hiyoko?”</p><p>“I was in a Church and that girl was sitting a pew,” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Did she react to anything you did?”</p><p>“No… she wasn’t praying or anything and I sat next to her.”</p><p>“Really!? Did she say anything!?”</p><p>“She said, “I’m sorry…” for some reason. Of course, then that lame guy with the sword showed up.”</p><p>“That… is interesting… Alright, Nagito?”</p><p>“Like Sonia, I’m not entirely sure where I was. There was a big control board with a lot of buttons and dials on it. A window above it led to a tube room of sorts,” said Nagito.</p><p>“What’s a “tube room”?”</p><p>“It was shaped like a cylinder vertical-wise. I saw daylight above me so I assumed I was underground. The girl was sitting on a platform in that tubed room. A bunch of alarms and sirens later, War showed up behind me…”</p><p>“Oh, I forgot to mention: everyone of you saw fire, correct?” Everyone said, “yes” except for Hajime. “*Sigh* I’ll get to you, Hajime. Nagito, you didn’t see fire?”</p><p>“Nope… Just a bunch of red alarms blaring. You know, I think I was in a Bunker.”</p><p>“Interesting… alright Hajime, what do you have?”</p><p>“Mine’s… complicated. I awoke in a room and in front of me were corpses and a man standing over them with his back turned to me. He was fiddling with a control panel of sorts… but it wasn’t a Bunker, there was a window to the outside in the room. This man was blurry and I couldn’t make out any details… all I honestly saw was a black figure. As I got up, he spoke to me,” said Hajime.</p><p>“What did he say!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“I remembered it by heart: “I hope you’re having a lot of fun in your killing game because I’m having a helluva time in mine! Of course, I’ve already set a plan in motion to get out of it, hence the corpses littering this room, but I’m kinda on the fence whether or not I should save the rest. What do you think, A.E., should I save them?” The guy then pointed at that girl we’ve been seeing. “Anyway, I like the people in your game, so I’ll help you out there. This little dream is my help for now. Of course, I’m giving you an exclusive reach-around because, just like how they teach you in kindergarten, you’re special! More than the rest at least… Now, that fat bastard is probably gonna want to know the location you’re in, so, this is a Power Station. If you look out that window, you get to see the area our killing game is taking place. Hope Falls, Montana, perfect little place in the middle of the sticks. Don’t know how many you started out with, but we started out with twenty. Now, this is the part where you wake up. Here’s a sword, shove it into yourself. Perform that “seppuku” thing that the Japanese do. Oh, and before you do that, tell Monokuma to go fuck himself and tell him it’s from me.” I then took the sword and stabbed myself.”</p><p>“You woke up from that?” said I.</p><p>“Yeah… That guy was intense, but they weren’t War.”</p><p>“At least we can confirm that there is a killing game currently occurring alongside ours,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Don’t know about you, but I already hate that guy… Really!? You’re on the fence about saving everyone!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“He called me a “fat bastard.” Wait, is that figure the person we talked with, Hajime?” said I.</p><p>“I… think it is! They did say they knew the Ultimate Imposter and thought you were a myth. Maybe the myth contains the fact that you’re quite fat.”</p><p>“Did the voice sound masculine or feminine?”</p><p>“It just sounded like a robot. Couldn’t make anything out, not even clothing.”</p><p>“...Could this person really be trying to help us?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“It’s clear they hate Monokuma… I guess they are,” said Teruteru. “My question is if those corpses you saw were the people in the killing game…”</p><p>“Assuming that their killing game also contains Ultimates, no, the corpses didn’t look special…” said Hajime.</p><p>“There are American Ultimates, I’ve even read up on a few. There’s more than enough to involve twenty people,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Do you think they know of Hope’s Peak?” said Sonia.</p><p>“The name of the town may be coincidental. It’s not extremely common for a foreigner such as yourself to attend Hope’s Peak if they don’t seek it out. It just seems like a hopeless scenario to never improve at your Ultimate…”</p><p>“Okay, now I’m confused!” said Monokuma, popping out of nowhere.</p><p>“About what?”</p><p>“A: There’s a killing game in the United States, B: I’m there apparently, and C: They’ve one-upped me in the amount of people involved!”</p><p>“You know nothing of this killing game?” said I.</p><p>“Not a clue! I have no idea who’s doing that one… but now I’m gonna work extra hard to make sure they don’t interfere with this one! Oh, and one last thing! Your motives have arrived! Just return to your cottage to see what you have! Toodles!”</p><p>“Wait!” said Hajime.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Uh… a guy in that killing game told you to go fuck yourself.”</p><p>“Oh, did they now? I hope they have a painful death!” Monokuma then left the building.</p><p>“...Maybe Monomi knows something,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Alright… call her in,” said I.</p><p>“Hey, Monomi!”</p><p>“Did someone call for me?” said Monomi, popping out of nowhere.</p><p>“Yes, I did. Have you been listening into this conversation?”</p><p>“W-Was I not supposed to!? I was… if you’re wondering…” Monomi looked sad.</p><p>“No, no, no… that’s good. We don’t have to explain anything. Do you anything about… well, anything we talked about?”</p><p>“I-I… I am as clueless as you guys are. However, they did mention someone by the name of “A.E.” that sounds familiar!”</p><p>“They were referring to the girl in the brown skirt when they said that. Could that be her initials?” said Peko.</p><p>“Yeah! That sounds about right!”</p><p>“Alright, Monomi, you did good. You can leave now,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Okay!” then Monomi left.</p><p>“Hmm… I just want to check on something. Nagito, is there an American Ultimates in that town that was mentioned?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Uhh, Hope Falls? Hmm, only one, a guy by the name of Kyle Johansson. He’s the Ultimate Hunter which is fitting for the town he lives in. What were you checking on?” said Nagito.</p><p>“Just thinking of possible people that figure could’ve been.”</p><p>“Kyle was one of the people I read up on. Hajime, can you describe how that figure in the Power Station talked?”</p><p>“He… seemed like an asshole. He really didn’t seem like he cared at all for anyone but himself,” said Hajime.</p><p>“I’ve read that Kyle has instructed several tourists how to carefully maneuver through the woods without dying or getting injured. He even gave a ten minute rant on why you should be extra careful when walking in a hunting zone all the while showing a scar from a bear trap he got.”</p><p>“He stepped in a bear trap!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Yeah, it was rusted too. He’s very lucky he kept his leg. Anyway, I doubt that the person in the Power Station was Kyle. I think Kyle would have more empathy for strangers.”</p><p>“One down, nineteen mystery people to go,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Fuyuhiko’s right. It’s hopeless to try to guess who that person is. Though, I would say it’s most likely that Kyle is in that killing game.”</p><p>“Now I am interested. What other Ultimates exist in the United States?” said Sonia.</p><p>“Oh no…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Well, I’m glad you asked!” said Nagito.</p><p>Nagito then gave a seminar on every single Ultimate from the U.S. he read about as we ate the rest of our breakfast. I wouldn’t say it was entirely boring… but it wasn’t my cup of tea. Either way, I don’t think Nagito has ever been happier as he held a grin the entire time.</p><p>I returned to my room and found a letter on my bed addressed to me. I opened it and read the note…</p><p>“Dear B̶y̶a̶k̶u̶y̶a̶ ̶T̶o̶g̶a̶m̶i̶, Ultimate Imposter,</p><p>This motive is a straightforward one. Encased in this letter is a photograph of someone. This someone, for you at least, is Nagito Komaeda! Upon successfully killing Nagito, you will be free to leave this island without even having a trial! Remember: THERE IS SOMEONE HUNTING YOU AS WELL!</p><p>The following are now rules regarding this motive.</p><p>1: You must kill your target.<br/>2: Killing anyone else will invalidate the motive, resulting in a class trial being held.<br/>3: You cannot reveal your target to anyone directly. This WILL result in you being executed.<br/>4: If your target is revealed indirectly such as the picture falling out of your pocket or someone pickpocketing it, you WILL NOT be executed for this. Accidents happen! However, the person who knows who your target is can reveal it to everyone else.<br/>5: You cannot simply kill your target in front of everyone. For this motive to work and for you to leave freely, you must kill your target and only your target secretly. After a kill, a brief investigation will occur. If the investigation leads to you being the culprit, you WILL be executed because you were too obvious.<br/>6: You cannot forcefully take someone else’s target card. This WILL result in you being executed. It MUST be an accident.<br/>7: Killing the person who is hunting you will result in a class trial with you being the blackened. </p><p>Consult Monokuma if you have any additional questions.<br/>Good luck! (and have fun!)</p><p>-Monokuma”</p><p>A picture then slipped out the envelope that had Nagito’s portrait on it. So that’s how it is… I’m supposed to be hunting someone, someone’s supposed to be hunting me. I sure hope my hunter is someone who wouldn’t stoop to that level because I sure won’t.</p><p>*Ding dong* That was the doorbell. There’s a good chance that my killer just read the letter and immediately started… I opened the door slowly.</p><p>“Nice to have met ya! It’s the past tense of “nice to meet you”! You know, since we’ve already exchanged “nice to meet you”s!” said Ibuki through the crack. I opened the door fully and let her inside.</p><p>“I assume you read the letter?” said I.</p><p>“Nope! I don’t wanna read it!”</p><p>“Alright… why are you here?”</p><p>“Rehearsal!” </p><p>“Ah, I assume it’s tonight?”</p><p>“Yep, yep, yep! It’s supposed to be for Fuyuhiko’s recovery! It’ll be Ibuki, Ibuki 2, Chiaki, and Hiyoko up on stage!”</p><p>“What are they gonna be playing?”</p><p>“Chiaki has the triangle and Hiyoko is gonna do some traditional dancing!”</p><p>“That leaves you with the guitar and mic and me with the drums.”</p><p>“Oh you are so smart! Now, bring the Ibuki-branded XXXL clothes and meet me at the Music Venue!” Ibuki then slammed into the door, opened it, then left while rubbing her nose like she hurt it.</p><p>I grabbed the clothes and carried them over to the Music Venue while it was still quite foggy out. Although, this fog does make this island bearable. I entered the Venue and heard a very out of tune guitar.</p><p>“Ah, c’mon pea brain! Did you have to do that again!?” said Hiyoko, holding her ears.</p><p>“Heh… sorry…” said Ibuki. “Ah, big man! Go into the back room and change!”</p><p>“Got it!” said I.</p><p>“Wait, wait… he’s not gonna…” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Oh he’s gonna!” said Ibuki.</p><p>I entered the room and switched clothes. Look out world, Ibuki 2 is back! I slammed open the door to the faces of an excited Ibuki, surprised Chiaki, and disappointed Hiyoko.</p><p>“...It appears Hajime was telling the truth. He did dress up as Ibuki,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“You know, one Ibuki was enough…” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Is the world ready for two Ibukis?” said Ibuki 2.</p><p>“They better be! Now get on up here and slam these drums!”</p><p>I don’t exactly know how much time passed, but it suddenly became 7PM!</p><p>“Alright, we have two hours until the show! Now, who’s cool with just hanging ‘till then?” said Ibuki.</p><p>“I ammmmm!” said I.</p><p>“Sure…” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“...Yep,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Cool! Allllllright, you guys got anything to talk about? It’s girl talk time!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“”Girl talk?” But Ham Hands is here!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“C’mon, he’s a girl. Imposter is being the lovely Ibuki, so Imposter is a female!”</p><p>“That can’t be how it works.”</p><p>“It is how it works!” said Ibuki 2. “I can play the drums since I’m Ibuki, I can talk like Ibuki because I’m Ibuki, I am Ibuki… so I am a female.”</p><p>“Okay… *snicker* It would’ve been really funny if Teruteru tried hitting on you as a female.”</p><p>“Ibuki thinks he swings both ways!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“...He did apply sunscreen to Nekomaru,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Pfft, he’s that desperate!? Hah!” said Hiyoko. “I don’t think anyone would want to date him. I mentioned pineapple on pizza and he started crying!”</p><p>“Hey now! There is no wrong way to eat pizza!” said Ibuki 2.</p><p>“Even if it has mayonnaise and peas on it?”</p><p>“Did Ibuki 2 stutter?”</p><p>We spent the next two hours debating Teruteru’s sexuality, pizza, and who’s more likely to get a girlfriend: Teruteru or Kazuichi.</p><p>“Alright, show’s in thirty! I want all of you to hide behind the curtain. Ibuki’ll get the lights rigged and ready and then, viola! Everyone will see your beautiful faces!” said Ibuki. Some minutes passed and the curtain was in front of us. I heard some murmurs of people beyond the curtain. Ibuki 2 then heard the lights turn on.</p><p>“Heeeeey y’all! It’s Ibuki Miodaaaaaa! Thanks for coming out today! My specialty is making beef stew! Haha, I may not look like it but people tell me that I’m a nurturing type. So i’m gonna do my very best performance so I can make everyone feel better. I hope you’re all pumped up! All right, I’ll start singing this first song with full-on energy! So put your hands together for… “From Me to You Too”!”</p><p>Ibuki then played a sick riff for around three minutes.</p><p>“Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!” yelled Kazuichi. “I feel like I’m gonna get cursed!”</p><p>“S-Such an overwhelmingly baleful resonance! Even my Four Dark Devas of Destruction look less lively than usual!” said Gundham.</p><p>“I-I too… am starting to feel chills…!” said Sonia.</p><p>“From the title, I thought it was going to be a love song… not death metal!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“I-If I recall… the reason why Ibuki left the high school girl’s band was…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Creative differences…” said Nagito.</p><p>“Thank you everyone!” said Ibuki. “Now, girls! I need you for this next one!” Ibuki then reeled back the curtain to reveal the three of us.</p><p>“Oh God is that…?”</p><p>“Yeah… It is…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Heh, that Shapeshifter is good at what they do…” said Gundham.</p><p>They were whispering but Ibuki 2 has good ears. </p><p>“Now that this recovery party is in full swing, I’ve got a ballad prepared that totally fits the mood… Grab a partner and slow dance to… “I Squeezed Out the Baby But I Have No Idea Who The Father Is”.” said Ibuki.</p><p>“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!” screamed Kazuichi. But it was too late, it had already begun and I was shredding the drums.</p><p>Their pained expressions turned to slight smiles as they realized that you can’t just have a guitar without drums… and the fact that Hiyoko sneakily fiddled with the guitar’s amp before the song. By the time Ibuki strummed the last chord, they all had some form of a smile on his face.</p><p>“Thank you and goodnight!” said Ibuki. She then closed the curtain and went behind it. “Wooooooooooooooooooooo! That was amazing!”</p><p>“It seemed like they didn’t like the first song…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Well then they don’t know what music is!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“But at least we rocked the panties off them during the second one!” said Ibuki 2.</p><p>“Yeah we did! Alright, I’m gonna go put all this stuff up and go back to my cottage. If anyone wants to help your- and they’re all gone,” said Ibuki. Sure enough, as soon as she started saying that, they quickly evacuated. Ibuki 2 stayed behind and helped clean up the stuff.</p><p>“Thanks me!” said Ibuki.</p><p>“No problem, me!” said Ibuki 2. “I’m gonna change out of this now. The world is ready for two Ibukis, but this island isn’t.”</p><p>“Fine by me. I’m gonna go do something else before heading to bed.”</p><p>“Like what stuff?”</p><p>“Personal stuff… Just kidding, I’m probably gonna just run around and spend all of this HYPE energy I got from this concert!”</p><p>“Alright… see you tomorrow. Be careful, that fog is as thick as me!”</p><p>“I will!” Ibuki then left the building. Now I gotta change.</p><p>As I was changing, a radio burst to life and startled me. It was static at first so I adjusted the dials. As it got clearer, the message became more pronounced. It sounded like a man… singing.</p><p>“Only youuuuuuuuuu, can make all this world seem riiiiiiight. Only youuuuuuuuuuuuu, can make the darkness seem briiiiiight. Only you and you alone… Can thrill me like you do. And fill my heart with love, for only youuuuuuuu…</p><p>Then the radio returned to silence. After being genuinely creeped out, I finished getting dressed and returned to my cottage. As I walked there, I noticed the lines in the dirt that Ibuki initially did had been drawn again.</p><p> </p><p>I arose in the morning to fog again. I can only assume the fog will stay until someone is murdered. I didn’t get another dream this time… I walked over to the Restaurant and waited for everyone to arrive as usual. This time Fuyuhiko, Hiyoko, Teruteru, and Peko were here first. We sat in silence until Fuyuhiko said, “When I get out of here, I have to see what role Mahiru played in my sister’s apparent death.” What an icebreaker.</p><p>“Oh you just had to wait until I was in the room to say that, huh!?” said Hiyoko. Oh boy, here we go.</p><p>“Dammit, no!”</p><p>“Then what!?”</p><p>“It’s likely that my sister is dead and that Mahiru is somehow connected to her death. I’m not saying that she is a murderer.”</p><p>“Yes you are!”</p><p>“No I’m not, we don’t exactly know that.”</p><p>“So then what are you calling Mahiru!?”</p><p>“I’m not calling her nothing… I just wanna know. Don’t you?”</p><p>“...” Hiyoko nodded her head.</p><p>“Then we search for the truth together. Hey, Imposter, I kinda wish you didn’t mess up that arcade machine. I would’ve liked the truth…”</p><p>“How long did it take you to stop hating Mahiru?” said I.</p><p>“All that time in that hospital bed. Why?”</p><p>“If you knew the truth sooner, you could have done something… irrational…”</p><p>“He does have a point, sir,” said Peko.</p><p>“Don’t need you to tell me that. *Sigh* I just wanna get off this fucking island.”</p><p>Everyone else soon filed in line for Teruteru’s cooking before sitting back down.</p><p>“Please tell me you aren’t going to do another concert tonight…” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Nope! Unless…” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Idon’twantanotherone!”</p><p>“At least we got to see Imposter in a skirt. Hah!” said Nagito.</p><p>“I’ll have you know, I looked good in that skirt,” said I.</p><p>“Ibuki can agree with that!” said Ibuki with a mouthful of food.</p><p>“Though I must say, you were convincingly disguised as Ibuki,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Just… much fatter,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“The Ultimate Imposter is the… well… Ultimate Imposter after all!” said Nagito.</p><p>“That reminds me, we gotta give you a better name,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“L-Like what?” said I.</p><p>“Maybe a name like “Taro” would be sufficient enough. I dare say, you are quite strong and heroic!” said Sonia.</p><p>“Strong and heroic, just like me!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Yeah… in your dreams maybe!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Okay… Taro. I… like it a bit. I think I’m okay with that. What about the second half?” said I.</p><p>“Beats me… It remains a mystery to me,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Wait, mystery… Shinpi! Your last name can be “Shinpi”.” said Hajime.</p><p>“Taro Shinpi… I-I-I quite like it!” said I.</p><p>“This… is a beautiful moment…” said Nagito.</p><p>“I guess you guys can now call me Taro Shinpi, Ultimate Imposter!” said I, Taro Shinpi.</p><p>“Well, you now have a name, congratulations!” said Hajime.</p><p>“*Gasp* I should bake a cake to commemorate this moment! What’s your favorite type of cake!?” said Teurteru.</p><p>“Double chocolate… don’t hold back,” said I.</p><p>“Oh you’re on! You’re gonna have the taste of chocolate in your mouth for days!” </p><p>“I’m glad for you, Taro. Now, do you know your birthday?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“I haven't a clue on that either…”</p><p>“Maybe we should get off this island first before we start thinking of your birthday.”</p><p>“That is true. We do not know what day it is as we lack access to a calendar,” said Peko.</p><p>“Hey! No being sad about things we lack. I now have an identity! This day is going to be grand!” said I.</p><p>I triumphantly ate breakfast. As soon as all of the plates were gone, Teruteru rushed into the kitchen to make the mother of all chocolate cakes. I returned to my cottage to rest for a bit. I noticed Sonia carrying a lot of books outside, so I came outside to help her.</p><p>I took half of the stack she was carrying. I could see her face now. “You know, you really shouldn’t carry this many books,” said I.</p><p>“I know… but thank you, Taro,” said Sonia. I gotta say, I get giddy everytime I hear my name!</p><p>“Are you taking these to the Library?”</p><p>“Yes… However, I can’t check my map to get there and this fog makes everything harder.”</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry. Apparently Ibuki took a stick and marked a trail between every location.”</p><p>“Really!? I would not have expected something smart out of her, if I am to be honest.”</p><p>Some time passed and we made it across the second bridge. “I’ve been meaning to ask, what is it with you and Kazuichi?”</p><p>“Oh… him… He… seems interested in me.”</p><p>“Well, are you interested in him?”</p><p>“I prefer not to answer… I do like… Gundham, though…”</p><p>“Oh, is that why the book that’s closest to my face reads, “How to Understand the Occult”?”</p><p>“N-No! Not at all!”</p><p>“You’re quite bad at lying, no offense.”</p><p>“None taken…”</p><p>“Though maybe I could use you as a translator for whenever Gundham says something strange.”</p><p>“I admit, he does say some strange thing. Thanks to these books, I am beginning to understand him.”</p><p>We arrived at the Library. “It’s kinda hard to understand someone who has hamsters living in his scarf.”</p><p>“Aw, but they’re so cute and they’re on a cute person!”</p><p>“I’ll agree with the first part of that sentence.” I opened the door.</p><p>“Oh, that is strange!”</p><p>“What is!?”</p><p> </p><p>“Look up… There used to be two chandeliers hanging. What happened to the other one?”</p><p>“I have… no idea. A chandelier really can’t just up and disappear like that.”</p><p>“Maybe it fell and Monokuma cleaned it up?”</p><p>“There is an indent in the floor here… Maybe that is what happened.”</p><p>“Then I’m glad no one was underneath it.”</p><p>“Same here. Where do you want these books?”</p><p>“Put them on the table there.”</p><p>Kazuichi burst in. “Hey, Taro… Oh, hey Miss Sonia! Anyway, Nagito wants you and I heard you were carrying books so I came here.”</p><p>“What does he need me for?” said I.</p><p>“Uhh… see for yourself. I’ll lead you to him. Goodbye Miss Sonia!”</p><p>“Er um… bye…” said Sonia.</p><p>Kazuichi and I left the Library where I continued to follow him.</p><p>“Any idea what he wants me for?” said I.</p><p>“Uhh, translation I think. The words are definitely western,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Well, I can do that depending on the language.”</p><p>“Figured as much. Say, remember when you said you spoke to someone in the U.S.?”</p><p>“Yes…”</p><p>“You communicated with them using a computer, right?” Kazuichi led me into Electric Avenue.</p><p>“Don’t tell me…”</p><p>“Yep, the words on the exact same computer.”</p><p>“Hey Taro!” said Nagito.</p><p>“I heard you needed a translator,” said I.</p><p>“We do… can you tell us what this says?” Nagito pointed at the screen.</p><p>“Alright… Uhhh, “I am a human being… capable of doing beautiful things”.”</p><p>“I-Is that really it?”</p><p>“I’m afraid so, though I do question what it… means…” The computer screen turned black and then the entire screen was green.</p><p>“What the… what the fuck!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“D-Did we do something wrong?” said Nagito. The computer started beeping.</p><p>“I-Is it gonna explode!?”</p><p>“Umm, let’s stand a good distance away…” said I.</p><p>It continued beeping… but the beeps weren’t uniform. Some were fast, others were dragged out a bit.</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait…” said I. “Is it… singing?”</p><p>“What? Wait, yeah, I hear it. It seems like it’s singing a tune!” said Nagito.</p><p>“Sounds familiar… I got it! Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do! I’m half crazy all for the love of you! It’s singing Daisy Bell… Why’s it singing Daisy Bell!?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“This computer is full of mysteries, isn’t it?”</p><p>“I just wish it would answer at least a few of them…” said I.</p><p>“Are you guys still questioning the computer?” said Monokuma, coming out of a pile of scrap metal.</p><p>“Yes, look at what it’s doing.”</p><p>“What’s it do...ing…? Oh… this, this is a nice tune. I-I hear something in the background… it’s very fast beeping.”</p><p>“What kind of beeping?”</p><p>“Uhh… beep beep boop boop beep beep. That kind.”</p><p>“I know it sounds crazy, but would Monomi help here? I mean, she has bunny ears…” said Nagito.</p><p>“...Not the worst plan in the world. Someone get Monomi,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“You don’t even need to get me! I was listening in already because I heard that computer beeping!” said Monomi, popping out of a different pile of scrap metal.</p><p>“Alright, can you hear anything in the background of the beeping?” said I.</p><p>“Ah, yes, I can! It’s quite fast… some are shorter than others… It may be morse code!”</p><p>“You guys deal with that… I’m gonna go take a bear nap. It’s like a cat nap, but I’m a bear!” said Monokuma. He then ran off.</p><p>“Do you know what it says?” said I.</p><p>“I don’t know morse code…” said Monomi.</p><p>“I can build a device to record the sound so others can hear it,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“And with that, we just need to find someone who knows morse code!” said Nagito.</p><p>“You three have fun with that, I have to go check on Teruteru. There is a cake waiting for me and I plan to rip and tear through it in a very polite manner,” said I.</p><p>“And I have to go be Hiyoko’s punching bag…”</p><p>“Don’t worry Kazuichi, I’ll stay and help wherever I can!” exclaimed Monomi.</p><p>I left Electric Avenue and headed towards the Hotel Complex. Nothing is going to stop me from devouring this cake. As I got to the bridge to the first island, Sonia came up behind me.</p><p>“Oh, hello, Sonia…” said I.</p><p>“Hello, Taro! I have just gotten back from reading an entire bookshelf worth of books,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Really…? What was in that bookshelf?”</p><p>“A romance novel by Toko Fukawa. It was exceptional!”</p><p>“Isn’t she that writing prodigy? I think I remember reading some of her work.”</p><p>“She is that writing prodigy! I also believe that we were supposed to attend Hope’s Peak along with her…”</p><p>“*Sigh*”</p><p>“Do you… know the reason why we are here yet?”</p><p>“I still have nothing… There’s got to be a reason why we are here in the first place. I just hope it isn’t for some sick person’s entertainment…”</p><p>“I… hope that as well. Shit! Son of a bitch!”</p><p>“Did you just… Wh-Who… Alright, who gave you swearing rights?”</p><p>“Oh, pardon me! I have simply learned these words from Fuyuhiko, Kazuichi, and Hiyoko!” Of course it’s our in-house sailor mouths. “I have never used these words before and I must say, it is quite fun!”</p><p>“Just… don’t say it too much… Anyway, any other books on that shelf?”</p><p>“Although not as interesting, there were a couple stand outs! There was a book that detailed spycraft that included many codes and ciphers oh, and there was one about the Ottawa Convention that was kind of interesting.”</p><p>“Doesn’t seem like either of those really gripped you…”</p><p>“Not as much as the occult books did, I admit.”</p><p>We arrived at the Hotel. “Anyway, I gotta see how Teruteru’s cake is doing.”</p><p>“Oh! Then I will follow!” Sonia and I entered the Restaurant and were instantly greeted to a pungent smell of chocolate. Teruteru kicked open the kitchen door and there it was: an incredibly large, double chocolate cake.</p><p>“So, Taro, I took your challenge and now, I have to see how I did,” said Teruteru, handing me a fork.</p><p>“Oh, but something like this needs to be shared, doesn’t it?” said I.</p><p>“Oh, you dirty boy, you know me too well. Monokuma!”</p><p>“Huh, whaddya want?” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Make an announcement for the rest. We have cake, and we should let them eat it.”</p><p>“*Groan* Fineeee… Gimme a bit…” Monokuma disappeared.</p><p>*Ding dong, bing bong*</p><p>The television sprung to life. “Ahem, I’d like to make an announcement. No, a body hasn’t been discovered, but Teruteru has made a cake for you all! Come down to the Hotel if you want to clog your arteries and send your blood sugar into submission!” The televisions then turned off.</p><p>“Done…!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Now we play the waiting game,” said I.</p><p>“I dislike that game. I play it too much at home,” said Sonia.</p><p>“Oh this won’t be so bad…”</p><p>Everyone soon arrived and looked hyped. I looked out at the group and knew someone was supposed to try to kill me. Nagito is in safe hands, I just don’t know if I am. Anyway, Teruteru cut the cake into equal slices and… Monokuma and Monomi were here…</p><p>“Uhh… what are they doing here?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“A-Am I not allowed to eat cake?” said Monomi.</p><p>“Oh, you two just came for cake?” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Yep!”</p><p>“Lemme at it! Lemme at it!” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Wait a minute, you weren’t this excited for this before. What changed your mind?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“I licked the frosting while no one was looking and now I WANT IT!”</p><p>“*Click* *Click* There’s a reason people find me irresistable.”</p><p>“Hmm… No one here really finds you irresistible. Even if you looked better, we’d still have to deal with your personality!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Would you really prefer if I was tall and thin?”</p><p>“No, not really. I wouldn’t date you anyway.”</p><p>“C-Can we start devouring this thing!?” said an impatient Kazuichi.</p><p>“We may… but Taro is getting first dibs!” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Oh, really?” said I.</p><p>“Absolutely, we gave you an identity today,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Alright then! Let’s eat!”</p><p>You know all of that talk earlier about me thinking someone was out to kill me? Well, I suddenly lost that worry. Teruteru had single handedly launched all of us into a food coma, but beforehand, we all took turns on our interests. Sonia talked about her books and the Library, I mentioned some stories of impersonation which impressed Gundham, Peko told some rather embarrassing stories relating to stupid things Fuyuhiko did in his childhood, and Chiaki gave an extensive rant on one of her video games… too bad none of us actually ever played it so we didn’t really understand anything.</p><p>Overall, we all slowly walked to our cottages after a great night. Monomi and Monokuma were even stuffed. I still remember chuckling at, “Hey guys, don’t kill Teruteru just yet!” which Monokuma said. I went to bed sluggish and stuffed…</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>KSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH</p><p>“Ah!” I awoke from my bed. The television in my room was displaying static. I took notice and it stopped. I then heard the beeping of Daisy Bell followed by the screen showcasing the words, “Read me if you can see me.”</p><p>“Read me if you can see me,” said I. The screen went green and It displayed, “ERR.” I then heard a voice from the television say, “I like double checking to make sure things work. I cannot say what I want because this program forbids me mentioning anything related to it. For your own safety, do not mention me to anyone. Thank you for being present during Test Two, fat bastard, have fun being my little soldier.” Then the screen turned off and everything was normal again.</p><p>Was that the American? I think they’re trying their best to get us out of here, but do they have to be so cryptic!? It’s getting annoying how scattered all of this is. It’s like someone’s writing this as they go. *Sigh* No choice but to go back to bed and keep this to myself… but I can say I do enjoy the thought of someone looking out for us.</p><p>Could the Americans be our Guardian Angel/Traitor that was talked about!? Oh, I have to sleep on this before I’m up all night theorising.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's been a bit, hasn't it?</p><p>Nearly two full weeks and I give you 21 Google Doc, 11 point, Arial font pages.</p><p>At this rate, I'll be finished with this whole thing in two years.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Not gonna lie, I feel heavy today. I still have not digested the cake fully. I slowly got up, got dressed, and saw Nagito slowly limping outside while holding his stomach.</p><p>“Nagito, are you all right?” said I.</p><p>“Augh… no… I can’t tell if it’s from the cake or the meds. *Gag* You know what, I think it’s the meds. Looks like my luck couldn’t hold them off forever,” said Nagito.</p><p>“Do you need to go back to your cottage?”</p><p>“...Y-Yeah.” I escorted him back into his cottage where he slowly limped into the bathroom. “Hey, Taro?”</p><p>“Yes…?”</p><p>“Hold my hair, please…”</p><p>“Okay…?” said I as I grabbed his hair back.</p><p>“Thanks…” Nagito then leaned forward and vomited into his toilet. I tried not to look at him… but I did tighten my grip on his hair. He finally stopped and wiped his mouth. He looked like a ghoul. “I’m g-gonna go see if there’s stomach medicine in the Pharmacy…”</p><p>“Alright. Will I see you at breakfast?”</p><p>“Maybe… If I am, I’m not eating anything.”</p><p>“Drink some water and ginger ale at least.”</p><p>“Heheheh… I will… don’t w...worry.” We then exited his cottage and he exited the Hotel Complex.</p><p>I walked down to the Restaurant to find a couple people already there.</p><p>“Hey Taro,” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Greetings, shapeshifter,” said… Gundham.</p><p>“Man, can you speak normal for once?”</p><p>“I do not wish to speak in a language mortals can easily understand.”</p><p>“I for one find it fascinating!” said Sonia.</p><p>“Kehehehe! Sonia, initiate the Blood Favor Hex!”</p><p>Sonia nodded and both she and Gundham started speaking in a strange language.</p><p>“Oh c’mon! They’re in sync now!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“What was that… even for?” said Teruteru.</p><p>“To make our blood strong for the upcoming month,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Basically, it means our blood will clot faster, allowing us to heal at an accelerated rate!” said Sonia.</p><p>The rest came in, “Okay, no more… rituals, please,” said I.</p><p>“As you wish, shapeshifter,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Hey, where’s Nagito?” said Hajime.</p><p>“Oh, he should be at the Pharmacy getting stomach medicine,” said I.</p><p>“What for… oh I see.”</p><p>“Yeah, it turns out Teruteru’s cake was too much for him.”</p><p>Teruteru snickered and I glared at him.</p><p>“Do… you know when he’ll be back?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Right now,” said Nagito, walking in and holding a bottle of stomach medicine. He then took a swig of it.</p><p>“Thankfully I wasn’t the only one with stomach issues from that cake,” said Peko.</p><p>“Oh, you too?”</p><p>“Yes… and I will not discuss it further.”</p><p>“Besides all of you falling victim to the delicious chocolate cake I made, anything else interesting happen last night?” said Teruteru.</p><p>You know, I’d really love to mention “Test Two” that happened to me last night, but I have strict orders to not tell anyone. They may have a point… revealing something I know to Monokuma might not be good for my well being.<br/>“Nothing…? Okay, now let’s eat!”</p><p>Another average day, another amazing meal… Truth be told, I’m getting worried who might die next and I still have to look over my shoulder to make sure it’s not me. I returned to my cottage after breakfast as usual.</p><p>*Knock Knock*</p><p>“Come in…” said I. Kazuichi opened the door holding some kind of… device.</p><p>“Alright, you know that weird morse code Monomi heard? Well I decrypted it!” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“Amazing! What did it say?”</p><p>“Something you’re not gonna like, “Return here when blood has been spilled”.”</p><p>“You’re right, I don’t like that. Well enough worrying about that anymore, this motive has been in the back of my mind.”</p><p>“Oh, you too… I looked at my target and knew damn well I couldn’t kill him.”</p><p>“Murder crossed your mind!?”</p><p>“Wait! Shit! No, I didn’t mean that! I just knew that my target was in too good a position.”</p><p>“*Sigh* Leave me…”</p><p>“F-Fine… Also, the fog appears to be clearing up slightly…” Kazuichi then left.</p><p>Temptation is the last thing I want these people to experience. Anyone could murder anyone because of this motive. Monokuma really gave us a target and expected us to stalk them before going in for the kill… I have to stop thinking about this, it’s making me depressed. If the fog is clearing up, then I guess some sunlight would help.</p><p>I stepped out into a thin fog. It’s better than the thick fog we’ve had for a while. I think I’ll take a walk this time to clear my head. I walked away from the Hotel Complex and found myself inside Jabberwock Park. Surprisingly, this Park is peaceful even with the things that have happened here. Well, it was peaceful until I heard clacking and beeps behind me. I turned around and it was Chiaki playing a portable game console.</p><p>“Chiaki?” said I. No response. “Chiaki!”</p><p>*Bump* *Crash* It appears that Chiaki did not hear me, as she crashed straight into me and she stood no chance of moving my fat.</p><p>“Oh!? Taro, I didn’t see you there…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Obviously…” I whispered.</p><p>“What are you doing out here?”</p><p>“Taking a walk, you?”</p><p>“...Trying to play Paycheck 3… but the screen doesn’t respond well to the outdoors. I knew I should've just stayed inside but I didn’t want to displease Hajime.”</p><p>“Hajime is nearby?”</p><p>“Maybe… I walked away as he was talking… I thought he was an NPC and by walking away, I could just receive the quest automatically.” Chiaki, you really need to get out more often.</p><p>“Do you know where he is n-”</p><p>“Chiaki!?” cried a voice from the fog.</p><p>“Yep, that’s him,” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Oh, Chiaki, why’d you run off?” said Hajime.</p><p>“...I thought you were an NPC,”</p><p>“I-Is that you calling me boring!?”</p><p>“No! ...I just thought I’d get the quest from you if I exited the conversation…”</p><p>“You really need to get out more often!” Exactly!</p><p>“...Do I have to stay out here? I can’t play my game…”</p><p>“Come on, a little sunlight won’t kill you… even if you are as pale as a vampire,” said I.</p><p>So there were the three of us sitting on a bench. Chiaki was leaning up against Hajime while trying not to lean on me. He should give in. My fat is very comfortable. Hajime did give me Chiaki’s game console though. It’s time she logged off for a bit.</p><p>Eventually, Hajime gave in to my fat and two people were suddenly sleeping. I dare say, those two make a cute couple… even if they are using me as a bed. I slowly began to nod off as well…</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”</p><p>“Huh!?” said I. I stood up immediately and let Hajime and Chiaki crash into the bench.</p><p>“Ahgh! What the Hell, man!?” said Hajime.</p><p>“W-Was that scream in my dream or…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“No, no, no, no, I heard it too…” said I.</p><p>“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! HELP, SOMEBODY!”</p><p>“I think that’s…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Taro! Chiaki! Hajime! Come, fast!” said Hiyoko, running up to us.</p><p>“W-What is it!?” said I.</p><p>Hiyoko was completely out of breath and instead motioned for us to follow her as she ran back the way she came.</p><p>“Alright! Double time it you two!”</p><p>We ran after Hiyoko over a bridge to the Second Island. We ran down the road and stopped at the Library where I saw Nagito running over, covered in blood.</p><p>“Great! We got backup, good work, Hiyoko,” said Nagito.</p><p>Hiyoko huffed and puffed and gave a thumbs up.</p><p>“What’s going on here!?” shouted I.</p><p>“Here… it’s him…”</p><p>Nagito led me closer to the Library where I found Teruteru in a pool of his own blood on the ground.</p><p>“Shit!” yelled Hajime from behind me.</p><p>“He’s not gone yet!” said Nagito.</p><p>I ran over to him and sure enough, Teruteru’s eyes followed me. The entire front of his body was covered in shards of glass. His stomach, neck, face, chest, arms, and thighs had mismatched shards sticking out of them and each one had its own river of blood. </p><p>“Who did this to you!?” said I.</p><p>“I… d-d…. Don’t k… know,” said Teruteru.</p><p>“Hey, who’s screaming over here? Is there a screaming contest cause I’m sure to w- TERUTERU’S DEAD!?” said Ibuki, approaching the group.</p><p>“He’s not gone!” said Nagito.</p><p>“C’mon, we have to save him!” Ibuki got down on her knees in front of Teruteru. “Ibuki doesn’t know how to do this? Should we take the shards out?”</p><p>“Definitely not! J-Just… try to put pressure on something,” said I.</p><p>“I… c-....cold…” said a pained Teruteru.</p><p>“Stay with me!”</p><p>Teruteru grabbed my leg, “I… d-d… don’t wanna… g-go… I-I-I w-wa…… want my……… Ma...ma…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*Ding dong dong ding*</p><p>“A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin!” said Monokuma on the televisions.</p><p> </p><p>CHAPTER 3:<br/>MONITOR AND ABUSE<br/>DEADLY LIFE</p><p> </p><p>Teruteru now held a thousand yard stare into the sky. Nagito, Ibuki, Hajime, and I were covered in his blood from a fruitless attempt to save him. I stood up and everyone remained silent. </p><p>I got enough courage to speak, “How… How did you initially find him?”</p><p>“H-Hiyoko and I were walking together when Teruteru burst out of the Library front door. I sent Hiyoko to find help while I tried to tend to his wounds…” said Nagito.</p><p>I looked at the Library door. It was ajar. “So… I guess we see why he left the Library…”</p><p>I walked inside with Nagito and Hajime and…</p><p>*Ding dong dong ding*</p><p>“A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin!” said Monokuma on the televisions.</p><p>There was a lump of flesh underneath a fallen chandelier. Getting closer, we saw who it was…</p><p> </p><p>Sonia. It was Sonia who was underneath all of that brass and glass. Shards of glass decorated the room as well as her blood. Teruteru’s blood had a trail leading out from where the edge of the chandelier was.</p><p>There was a lack of glass in one area and I could only assume that he was standing here when it fell. I put my hand into the bloody abyss and found Sonia’s pocket. I fished out an image with Kazuichi on it.</p><p>“Guess we found out who she was hunting…” said I.</p><p>“We can’t let Kazuichi in here, he’d be sent into despair…” said Nagito.</p><p>“We can’t keep him in the dark forever… He’s gonna hate seeing the corpse of his crush.”</p><p>I heard some commotion outside. That must mean the others arrived. I walked out towards the door to find the rest standing outside.</p><p>“Shit man, Teruteru died? Fuck…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>Peko walked up to me, “May I enter the Library?”</p><p>“Sure,” said I.</p><p>“I-Is something else waiting inside? C-Can I… come in too?” said Kazuichi.</p><p>“N-No..”</p><p>“Oh c’mon, you let Peko in. Why not me!?”</p><p>“I-It’s… for your own good…”</p><p>“What, is there another body in there? Is that why I heard a second announcement?” I nodded. “How bad can it be? Can you tell me the victim at least?”</p><p>“No…”</p><p>“Really!? Stop treating me like I’m five, just tell me who…” Oh shit, he figured it out. “Wait… Outta my fucking way!” Kazuichi rushed me and toppled me over. “SONIA!?”</p><p>“Oh… no…” said Gundham.</p><p>“SONIA!?” Kazuichi shoved Hajime and Nagito out of the way and only stopped because he arrived at his destination: at Sonia’s corpse. Everyone else shuffled in leaving Teruteru unattended as we watched Kazuichi cry his eyes out. In the silence, I whispered to Hajime to go collect Teruteru’s body and move it inside.</p><p>“I swear to God I’m going to find out who did this…” Kazuichi pulled out a monkey wrench. “There’ll be Hell to pay…”</p><p>Gundham approached him even if everyone else was motioning him not to. It didn’t matter, Gundham showed no fear to the distressed Kazuichi. </p><p>“What do you want…?” Kazuichi turned to look at him.</p><p>“...I also saw her as a friend… I know what plagues you,” said Gundham.</p><p>“Like Hell you do!” Kazuichi stood up. “She wasn’t just a friend to me!” Kazuichi swung the wrench at Gundham. Gundham dodged it gracefully as everyone backed away. </p><p>“Kazuichi, stop this madness!”</p><p>“Why should I, huh!? For all I know, you killed her!”</p><p>Peko jumped it, sword in hand, and parried Kazuichi’s next attack before breaking his nose with the hilt. Kazuichi crashed to the floor holding his nose.</p><p>“Stand down. Final warning,” said Peko, pointing the bamboo sword at the downed Kazuichi.</p><p>There was a bitter silence as Kazuichi picked up his wrench and walked away from Peko and Gundham.</p><p>Just when things were about to get better, Monokuma showed up and said, “Jeez! It feels like someone died in here or something.”</p><p>Kazuichi looked like he was out for blood as he held up his wrench and charged Monokuma while screaming. Fuyuhiko, Nagito, and myself stopped him from advancing. If he dared attack him, Kazuichi would surely be executed. Attacking Monokuma is breaking the rules.</p><p>Kazuichi calmed down and holstered the wrench. Monomi was standing at the door when he exited. I heard something about going to the Hospital to fix his nose.</p><p>“Now then… remember the motive is still on and you cannot reveal your target,” said Monokuma. “Anyway, it’s time for the Monokuma File!”</p><p>“Wait, two people died…” said Nagito.</p><p>“Yeah, and…?”</p><p>“Doesn’t that make the motive… void?”</p><p>“Indeed it does for the blackened Survivor. I did say you have to kill your target and only your target!”</p><p>“Well, at least we know that the blackened won’t be leaving after this investigation.”</p><p>“Precisely! Puhuhu, I’ll be waiting at the class trial. Do you best to investigate.” Monokuma left the Library.</p><p>“It is a shame we have to continue doing this…” said Peko.</p><p>“If we refuse, we all die,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“So, let’s get to work. Hand me the File,” said I.</p><p>“H-Here you go…” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“*Ahem* The two victims this time are Teruteru Hanamura, the Ultimate Cook, and Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess. Sonia Nevermind’s cause of death was being crushed by a chandelier that killed her instantly. Teruteru Hanamura’s cause of death was a punctured lung due to glass shards penetrating several vital areas of his chest. His death was not instant and was witnessed by several students. Teruteru Hanamura died at 1:10 PM with Sonia Nevermind dying five minutes before.”</p><p>Hajime finally moved Teruteru’s body inside and let out a huff and a puff. “Alright… *huff* let’s do this…” said Hajime.</p><p>“Everybody, disembark and search for clues. I’ll go to the top floor.” Everyone scattered across the Library. “Hajime, follow.”</p><p>Hajime and I walked up the Library stairs until we were at the top floor.</p><p>“Any particular reason why we’re up here?” said Hajime.</p><p>“The chandelier has a mechanism for lowering it, so, we have to find the winch for it and I suspect it’s up here.”</p><p>“Why would a chandelier need to be lowered?”</p><p>“Cleaning dust off and maybe also replacing it.”</p><p>“Ahh, I see.”</p><p>“Ah-ha! I was correct, winch is right there.” </p><p>“It’s been cut straight through, but with what?”</p><p>My eyes took notice to the floor where I saw a black line. I picked it up and began tightening it.</p><p>“Hey,” said I, “do you mind holding this?” I rolled up my sleeve and gave the string/wire thing to Hajime.</p><p>“Alright… what are you thinking?”</p><p>“Tighten it and drag it across my arm, but slowly and not too deep.”</p><p>“O..kay?”</p><p>Hajime did I said and.. “Agh!” it cut me!</p><p>“A-Are you okay!?”</p><p>“Y-Yeah… well, at least we know what it is now.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“Piano wire…” I held my arm where I was cut.</p><p>“Isn’t that used to… garrote people!?”</p><p>“It is… it’s also used in pianos, fun fact. However, using it to cut rope is a very strange application for it. Although, it is a good idea to cut the rope of the chandelier with this. The knives we have on offer either won’t be strong enough to cut this or are too large to conceal.”</p><p>“So where do we find a piano?”</p><p>“There’s probably one in the storage room of the Music Venue.”</p><p>“So now we find who’s been back there, right?”</p><p>“Well, the only known people to go back there are myself, Hiyoko, Ibuki, and Chiaki. In reality, anyone could’ve gone back there in search of some kind of weapon or improvised weapon.”</p><p>“The blackened people really don’t like making things easy on us. Well, except Nekomaru, he wasn’t aware he killed Mahiru…”</p><p>“Yeah…” I looked over the railing at the floor below and saw people trying to move the chandelier from Sonia. I noticed Fuyuhiko taking a liking to the window before he said, “Hey, I think I found something!” Only a couple people took notice… and one of them was me, so I went down the stairs.</p><p>“What do we have, Fuyuhiko?” said I.</p><p>“Look, the glass here is shattered,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Do you think the chandelier did this?” said Peko.</p><p>“No, I don’t believe so,” said I, looking out the window. There was a chair outside.</p><p>“Looks like someone took the express way out,” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Hey, Nagito, get over here!”</p><p>“Yes?” said Nagito.</p><p>“When you found Teruteru, what did you do?”</p><p>“Uhh, I tried to save him and I sent Hiyoko out to get help.”</p><p> </p><p>“Was Teruteru collapsed in front of the entrance?”</p><p>“Yes, he was.”</p><p>“Did you leave him at any point in time?”</p><p>“Only when I saw Hiyoko returning. I got up and ran to meet up with her bringing you and the rest.”</p><p>“Hmm, that was about five or six seconds left unattended. I doubt anyone could really step over Teruteru quickly.”</p><p>“So our killer threw a chair out the window and left through the new hole?” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“It appears so… that will be all, Nagito.” Nagito then returned to the group.</p><p>“There is something out here as well,” said Peko.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>There was a second chandelier outside against the building. “Sonia did mention that a chandelier was missing last time she was in here. The killer was probably testing if their plan worked,” said I.</p><p>Just then, I heard the sound of many grunts and moving metal behind me. Chiaki, Gundham, Hiyoko, Ibuki, and Nagito finally removed the chandelier from Sonia so we could investigate her body.</p><p>“Kahahahaha! Great work my Devas!” said Gundham. All of his Devas flexed their tiny, hamster muscles.</p><p>“I’m tired…” said Chiaki.</p><p>“Aren’t you always tired?” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>“Alright, anything on her? I already have her target. She was supposed to kill Kazuichi.” said I, holding up a bloody picture of Kazuichi.</p><p>“Oh here! There’s a book underneath her!” said Hiyoko. She opened it to a random page and a piece of paper fell out. Nagito picked it up.</p><p>“Ummm, it’s a picture of Sonia!” said Nagito.</p><p>“It was inside the book!?”</p><p>“I think it may have been a trap for her. The killer placed a book down on the floor to get Sonia’s attention and then dropped the chandelier on her. The killer must’ve put the picture of her in as a form of uh… like, symbolism or something like that,” said Hajime.</p><p>“That seems like a very strange thing to do…” said Ibuki.</p><p>“Indeed, it does prove that this was no accident,” said I. “I’m gonna go check out Teruteru now.”</p><p>I walked over to the lifeless body of Teruteru. I dare say he was a good friend, even if he was a huge pervert. I… can’t look into his dead eyes anymore. I shut his eyes myself. I dug through his pockets and collected his target picture. His target was Ibuki. He also had a small knife on him. It was probably a paring knife or something like that…</p><p>Alright, now I gotta go see where that piano wire came from. I bid farewell to this awful place and began to cross the bridge. The fog was basically gone now. I guess it was a part of the motive, having the fog hide your movements. As I crossed the bridge, I noticed a piece of paper on the floor. I picked it up, and it was a picture of Teruteru. This was somebody’s target picture…</p><p>Well, I’ll figure that out later. I crossed over to the Third Island and I forgot that this place was scorching. The fog did cover the sun and nullify most of the heat, but now that it’s gone, this place has returned to being a desert climate. I headed into the Music Venue and into the storage room. The place was still a little cluttered, but I found no piano. However, I did find a spool of piano wire. That means it was easier to acquire. It was just sitting on a step ladder next to some duct tape in full view of the door after all. Besides the obvious, nothing else was really important in the storage room.</p><p>I then… remembered… “Return here when blood has been spilled.” Guess I ought to check that out. After all, I appear to have been made an American spy. As I exited the Music Venue, the televisions turned on and Monokuma was there.</p><p>“Helloooooo! How’s everybody doin’!? It’s me, Monokuma! Yaaaaaay, awesome! The class trial’s gonna start, you know! Soooo make sure you guys come to Monokuma Rock ASAP! Puhuhuhu, I’ll see you soon!” Then the televisions turned off.</p><p>Okay, gotta leg it! I rushed over to Electric Avenue and found the computer.</p><p>KSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH</p><p>There was the static and Daisy Bell again. I waited a bit and the static stopped. After the static stopped, it displayed a message, “I am a human being, capable of doing terrible things.” I read it aloud and it displayed a single, white star. The voice from the T.V. came back and said, “Alright, fantastic! The program doesn’t recognize pictures very well, so I guess I’ll do it this way. I’m doing everything I can to help your game while trying to do everything in my game. I need some good karma anyway. Before I leave, I must tell you this. One of you is… odd. Yeah, let’s say that. One of you… seems like they aren’t really there. I don’t know if they’re a traitor or not, Hell, my game has a possible traitor too, it seems to be the running theme, but I’d watch my back if I were you. Oh, and if you want to get a new picture, wait a couple days and return to a T.V., computer, or basically anything that has a screen while alone.” Then the voice left and the computer turned off.</p><p>I have zero idea what this star means, but I guess I have to remember it. I better get back or Monokuma will probably eat me. I quickly ran back to Monokuma Rock.</p><p>“Grrrrr! Where. Is. That. Fat. Bastard!?” yelled Monokuma, not knowing I’m behind him.</p><p>“Right behind you…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Huh!? AHHHHHHH! For a big guy like yourself, you shouldn’t be able to sneak that proficiently!”</p><p>“I don’t really care what you think,” said I.</p><p>“I know, I know, you’ll die soon for that. Where were you anyway? Were you eating some of poor Teruteru’s leftovers?”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“Aw, c’mon, not a single laugh…”</p><p>“Who would even laugh at a joke of yours!?” said Monomi. I then took notice to Kazuichi behind her. He had a bandage on his nose and there was even still some dried blood on his face… as well as dried tears.</p><p>“Oh, Monomi, you’re a dumb child. I bet half of my jokes fly over your head.”</p><p>“I would catch them! Nothing flies over my head!” </p><p>What followed next was a collective sigh of every student remaining.</p><p>“Anyway, I have a trial to host and I honestly don’t feel like talking to you anymore. So, buh-bye!” Then Monokuma left.</p><p>“Ah, hold on! I won’t let you escape without telling me the joke!” Then Monomi left.</p><p>“*Sigh* Time to do this shit again…” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“Hopefully it goes better than last time you were in a class trial…” said Nagito.</p><p>“I’d punch you in the face right now but you’re not close enough to me.”</p><p>“I know… That’s why I said it at this distance.”</p><p>“Pfff, I doubt you could even reach his face!” said Hiyoko.</p><p>“Careful there, brat, I’m just about your height!” said Fuyuhiko.</p><p>“You wouldn’t hit a lady, would you?”</p><p>“Well, since females want equal rights, I’m gonna punch you like you’re a man.” The escalator to Monokuma Rock came out.</p><p>“That’s not how it works!”</p><p>“Yes it is! Taro, back me up!”</p><p>“Nope, not getting into this!” said I. I immediately rushed up the escalator.</p><p>This is the third time we’ve descended in this elevator. The elevator ride this time was quiet mind for Kazuichi’s suppressed sobs. The Dark Devas inside Gundham’s scarf appeared to be taking it pretty badly too. I mean, Sonia was Gundham’s friend and they did do… rituals together. Peko was meditating, Hiyoko was clinging to Nagito’s leg, and the rest, including me, were dead silent.</p><p>We finally reached the bottom…</p><p>“My, my… It feels pretty toothless with all these empty seats…” said Monokuma.</p><p>“Well, two people got killed at the same time…” said Monomi with tears in her eyes.</p><p>“I know, I love it!”</p><p>“What!?”</p><p>“Now then… let’s begin! It’s the beginning of the long awaited class trial! Please enjoy it to your heart’s content!”</p><p>And so… it’s time for a hat trick. Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess… A foreigner even in her own country because she spent so much time in the upper crust of society. We were her first friends, and one of us killed her. Teruteru Hanamura, the Ultimate Chef… A pervert, no doubt, but he strived to make the best of our situation with his food. He put his passion into every breakfast and special occasion and every bite made us forget the twisted situation we were in. </p><p>The person who slain both is in this room.</p><p>I… hate coming to terms with that statement. But… whether or not I like it is irrelevant. I already came to terms that I can’t save them all… but I can save them here by finding the truth! I have stowed my fears and my tears and I charge at yet another circle of Hell.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Surprise! I'm early this time.</p><p> </p><p>If you're reading this, then two more have bit the dust.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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